Key Takeaways
1. Hugging Face has launched two budget-friendly humanoid robots, HopeJR and Reachy Mini, aimed at making robotics accessible to everyone.
2. The first units are expected to ship by late 2025, following the acquisition of Pollen Robotics for expertise in design and motion control.
3. HopeJR features 66 degrees of freedom, can walk, and interact with surroundings, priced at $3,000.
4. Reachy Mini is a smaller robot designed for developers and educational institutions, with a price range of $250 to $300.
5. Both robots are open source and modular, allowing users to assemble, modify, and understand their functionality, promoting transparency in software and training data.
With the introduction of HopeJR and Reachy Mini, Hugging Face, a US-based company, has launched two humanoid robots that are both budget-friendly and completely open source. Their intention is to make robotics more democratic, allowing technology that was previously confined to a few large companies to be accessible and understandable for everyone.
Shipping Timeline
Hugging Face aims to begin shipping the first units of both robots by late 2025. This progress follows the acquisition of the French start-up Pollen Robotics in April 2025, which brought vital knowledge in design and motion control to the table. According to Hugging Face, this team played a pivotal role in making the project a reality.
Features of HopeJR
HopeJR is a full-size humanoid robot that boasts 66 degrees of freedom. It has the ability to walk and interact with its surroundings, and is being designed for long-term autonomous use. A popular video on X features a Hugging Face team member demonstrating the robot shaking hands and moving via remote control – it’s not fully autonomous yet, but it’s still a remarkable demonstration. What’s even more surprising is the cost: only $3,000.
Overview of Reachy Mini
In addition to the larger HopeJR, Hugging Face also presented Reachy Mini, a small tabletop robot that can talk, listen, and move its head. This robot is aimed at developers and educational institutions looking to dive into AI-driven robotics. Similar to HopeJR, the focus is on making it accessible, with a price tag anticipated to be between $250 and $300.
Both of these robots are modular and open source, allowing the community to assemble, modify, and enhance them. “The crucial thing is that these robots are open source, so anyone can put them together, rebuild, [and] grasp how they function,” stated Clem Delangue, CEO of Hugging Face, in an interview with TechCrunch. The company also promotes transparency in software and training data. Actions like gripping and walking are learned through human demonstrations, with a long-term vision of enabling the robots to operate independently.
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