Affordable robotics: Hugging Face introduces $3,000 humanoid and $300 desktop robot
With HopeJR and Reachy Mini, the US company Hugging Face has introduced two humanoid robots that are not only affordable but also fully open source. The goal is to advance the democratization of robotics – making technology that was once limited to a handful of large corporations accessible and understandable to everyone.
Hugging Face plans to ship the first units of both robots by the end of 2025. This development was made possible through the acquisition of the French start-up Pollen Robotics in April 2025. According to Hugging Face, the team contributed essential expertise in design and motion control, playing a key role in bringing the project to life.
HopeJR – making humanoid robotics affordable
HopeJR is a life-size humanoid robot with 66 degrees of freedom. It can walk, interact with objects and is being developed for long-term autonomous operation. In a viral video on X, a Hugging Face employee demonstrates it shaking hands and moving via remote control – not autonomous yet, but still an impressive showcase. Even more remarkable is the price: just $3,000.
Reachy Mini: Compact tabletop robot for hands-on experiments
Alongside the larger model, Hugging Face also unveiled Reachy Mini – a compact tabletop robot capable of speaking, listening and moving its head. It’s designed for developers and educational institutions interested in exploring AI-powered robotics. As with HopeJR, accessibility is key: the expected price ranges from $250 to $300.
Open-source robotics for everyone
Both robots are modular and open source, designed to be assembled, explored and improved by the community. “The important aspect is that these robots are open source, so anyone can assemble, rebuild, [and] understand how they work,” Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue told TechCrunch. The company also embraces openness in software and training data. Movements like gripping or walking are taught through human demonstrations, with the long-term goal of enabling the robots to act autonomously.
Source(s)
Remi Cadene via X (formerly Twitter)
