Neura Unveils 4NE-1: The Next Generation Humanoid Robot

This week, German robotics manufacturer Neura unveiled an engaging video featuring its humanoid robot, 4NE-1, demonstrating various tasks such as ironing and box transportation. This promotional release coincides with Nvidia's reveal of innovative humanoid development tools at the Siggraph conference in Colorado.

Neura is among a select group of 13 companies granted early access to Nvidia's advanced humanoid development and deployment tools. This distinguished list includes notable names such as 1X, Boston Dynamics, ByteDance Research, Field AI, Figure, Fourier, Galbot, LimX Dynamics, Mentee, RobotEra, and Skild AI.

Among these firms, 1X, Figure, and Boston Dynamics stand out as leading players in the humanoid robotics sector. Neura has been teasing its whimsically named 4NE-1 for some time, but progress appeared slow as the company initially concentrated on traditional industrial robotics.

During a humanoid robotics panel at the Automate event, which also featured leaders from Boston Dynamics, Agility, and Apptronik, I spoke with Neura CEO David Reger. He promised a deeper insight into 4NE-1 in July. While several robots were showcased at the event, none were operational, primarily serving as photo opportunities for attendees.

The recent video illustrates 4NE-1 executing various tasks, showcasing capabilities that may surpass those of other humanoids in the industry. However, it’s important to view these demonstrations critically, particularly given the numerous edits and short clips. As we've highlighted before, promotional videos often don't accurately reflect the actual capabilities of the systems.

Neura aims to leverage the video to highlight its collaboration with Nvidia's robotics portfolio. "By combining Neura’s innovative cognitive robotics solutions with Nvidia’s advanced computing power and simulation platforms, we will push the boundaries of humanoid robotics even faster," Reger stated regarding this partnership.

The video features simulations for testing and training, interspersed with footage of the robot in practical situations. Until we observe these systems performing repeatable tasks effectively in real-world settings, it's essential to approach such videos with a healthy dose of skepticism.

As with any company in the humanoid robotics space, I look forward to seeing more raw footage of 4NE-1 in action. Currently, most humanoid robots in the field are still in pilot stages, except for Agility’s collaboration with logistics leader GXO. Even this partnership is still a way from widespread deployment akin to what we’ve witnessed with autonomous mobile robots.

Nevertheless, Nvidia’s commitment to humanoid robotics signals strong confidence in this emerging field. This initiative is expected to fast-track development and invite more newcomers into the sector.

"The next wave of AI is robotics, and one of the most exciting developments is humanoid robots," Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated in a recent release. "We’re advancing the entire Nvidia robotics stack, opening access for global humanoid developers and companies to utilize the platforms, acceleration libraries, and AI models that best fit their objectives."