Hugging Face Unveils HopeJR and Reachy Mini: Driving Open-Source, Affordable Humanoid Robotics

In a significant move demonstrating its expanding ambitions beyond large language models and traditional AI development platforms, Hugging Face has officially unveiled two new open-source humanoid robots: HopeJR and Reachy Mini. This announcement marks a substantial step in the company's concerted push into the burgeoning field of robotics, particularly focusing on accessibility and open development.

The introduction of these two distinct robots caters to different scales and use cases within the robotics community, from full-body interaction to desktop-based AI testing. By embracing an open-source philosophy and aiming for affordability, Hugging Face is positioning itself as a key player in democratizing access to advanced robotic hardware, mirroring its successful strategy in the software AI space.

Meet HopeJR: A Full-Size, Open-Source Humanoid

HopeJR stands out as a full-size humanoid robot designed to perform complex movements and interactions. Boasting an impressive 66 actuated degrees of freedom, this robot is capable of a wide range of motions, including walking and sophisticated arm movements necessary for object manipulation. The design emphasizes modularity and open access, allowing developers and researchers to understand, modify, and rebuild the robot.

The vision behind HopeJR is to provide a capable humanoid platform that isn't locked behind proprietary systems or exorbitant costs. At an estimated price point of around $3,000 per unit, HopeJR is significantly more affordable than many existing humanoid research platforms, which can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. This affordability, coupled with its open-source nature, is intended to lower the barrier to entry for universities, research labs, and individual developers interested in exploring humanoid robotics.

The collaboration behind HopeJR is noteworthy. Hugging Face partnered with French robotics firm The Robot Studio for its development, building on previous collaborations like the SO-101 robotic arm. This partnership leverages specialized hardware design expertise alongside Hugging Face's strengths in AI models and software platforms.

While an exact shipping timeline is still being finalized, Hugging Face co-founder and CEO Clem Delangue indicated that the first units are expected to ship by the end of the year. A waitlist is currently open for those eager to get their hands on this accessible humanoid platform.

Introducing Reachy Mini: The Desktop AI Companion

Complementing the full-size HopeJR is the Reachy Mini, a more compact, desktop-based robotic unit. Reachy Mini is designed as a versatile tool for testing and developing AI applications that require interaction with the physical world, albeit on a smaller scale. This unit focuses on upper-body movements and sensory input, featuring the ability to move its head, talk, and listen.

The Reachy Mini is particularly well-suited for tasks involving human-robot interaction, object recognition and manipulation within a confined space, and developing conversational AI interfaces integrated with physical actions. Its desktop form factor makes it accessible for individual developers, classrooms, and smaller research groups.

Affordability is also a key feature of the Reachy Mini, with an estimated cost ranging from $250 to $300 per unit, depending on tariffs. This price point makes it comparable to advanced development kits and significantly cheaper than most robotic arms or platforms with similar capabilities. Like HopeJR, Reachy Mini is open source, encouraging widespread experimentation and innovation.

The Reachy Mini's design and capabilities are a direct result of Hugging Face's acquisition of humanoid robotics startup Pollen Robotics. Announced in April 2025, the Pollen team brought crucial expertise and technology that, according to Delangue, provided Hugging Face with the "new capabilities" required to bring these robots to fruition. Pollen Robotics was known for its work on modular, open-source robotic platforms, making it a natural fit for Hugging Face's vision.

Hugging Face's Growing Footprint in Robotics

The launch of HopeJR and Reachy Mini is not an isolated event but rather the latest development in Hugging Face's strategic expansion into the robotics domain. Over the past few years, the company has been steadily building out its robotics ecosystem, leveraging its core strength in providing open AI models and tools.

A cornerstone of this strategy is LeRobot, a platform launched in 2024. LeRobot serves as a central hub for open AI models, datasets, and tools specifically curated for building robotics systems. It aims to do for robotics what the main Hugging Face platform did for natural language processing and computer vision – provide a collaborative space and readily available resources to accelerate development and research. By offering pre-trained models, simulation environments, and standardized datasets, LeRobot significantly lowers the software barrier to entry in robotics.

Earlier in 2025, Hugging Face also released an updated version of its 3D-printed and programmable robotic arm, the SO-101, developed in partnership with The Robot Studio. This project further underscored Hugging Face's commitment to providing affordable, open hardware platforms for robotics experimentation. Additionally, the company expanded the training data available on its LeRobot platform through a partnership with AI startup Yaak, specifically adding data relevant to self-driving machines, indicating an interest in broader autonomous systems beyond humanoids.

The Open-Source Philosophy: Democratizing Robotics

At the heart of Hugging Face's robotics initiative is a deep commitment to the open-source ethos. Clem Delangue emphasized this point, stating, "The important aspect is that these robots are open source, so anyone can assemble, rebuild, [and] understand how they work, and [that they're] affordable, so that robotics doesn't get dominated by just a few big players with dangerous black-box systems."

This philosophy is crucial for fostering innovation and preventing the concentration of power in the hands of a few large corporations. In the field of AI, Hugging Face has demonstrated how an open platform can accelerate research and development by making state-of-the-art models and datasets freely available. Applying this model to robotics hardware and software could have a transformative effect.

Open-source robotics hardware allows for greater transparency, customization, and collaboration. Researchers can modify the physical design, experiment with different sensors and actuators, and share their improvements with the community. This contrasts sharply with proprietary systems, where the internal workings are often hidden, limiting understanding and modification.

Furthermore, open-source software platforms like LeRobot enable developers to build upon existing AI models and algorithms specifically tailored for robotic tasks. This reduces the need to start from scratch, allowing for faster prototyping and deployment of robotic applications. The combination of open hardware and open software creates a powerful ecosystem for innovation.

The affordability aspect is equally important. High costs have historically been a major barrier to entry in robotics research and development. By offering platforms like HopeJR and Reachy Mini at accessible price points, Hugging Face is making it possible for a wider range of individuals and institutions to engage with advanced robotics. This could lead to a more diverse set of researchers and developers contributing to the field, potentially accelerating breakthroughs and fostering new applications.

The Significance of Humanoid Form Factors

While robotics encompasses a vast array of forms and functions, Hugging Face's focus on humanoid robots with HopeJR and Reachy Mini is particularly interesting. Humanoid robots are designed to operate in environments built for humans, making them potentially suitable for a wide range of tasks in homes, workplaces, and public spaces. However, developing capable and reliable humanoids is incredibly challenging, requiring sophisticated control systems, perception capabilities, and physical dexterity.

The 66 degrees of freedom in HopeJR are essential for mimicking human-like movement and manipulation. This level of articulation allows for complex tasks that simpler robots cannot perform. Walking, in particular, is a difficult challenge in robotics, and HopeJR's ability to walk is a significant feature for a robot in its price range.

Reachy Mini, while not a full humanoid, focuses on the upper body, including head and arm movements. This configuration is ideal for tasks involving interaction with objects on a desk or table, communication through speech and gestures, and testing AI models for tasks like object sorting, assembly, or human-robot collaboration in a controlled setting.

The choice of humanoid form factors suggests Hugging Face sees potential in developing AI and control systems specifically for robots that can navigate and interact with the human world. This aligns with broader trends in robotics research, where humanoids are seen as potential future assistants, workers, or companions.

Potential Applications and Future Impact

The availability of affordable, open-source humanoid platforms like HopeJR and Reachy Mini could unlock numerous possibilities across various sectors:

• **Research and Education:** Universities and research institutions can acquire these robots for teaching robotics, AI, and human-robot interaction without needing massive budgets. Students can gain hands-on experience with advanced hardware.
• **AI Model Development:** Developers can use these robots as testbeds for training and deploying AI models for tasks like navigation, object recognition, manipulation, and natural language interaction in a physical context.
• **Custom Robotics Solutions:** Startups and small businesses can leverage the open-source design to build specialized robots for niche applications, modifying the hardware and software to meet specific needs.
• **Personal Robotics:** While perhaps further off, the affordability could eventually pave the way for more accessible personal robots for assistance or companionship.
• **Benchmarking and Collaboration:** Standardized, open platforms facilitate easier comparison of different AI algorithms and control strategies, fostering collaboration within the research community.

By providing both the software tools (LeRobot) and the hardware platforms (HopeJR, Reachy Mini, SO-101), Hugging Face is building a comprehensive ecosystem for open robotics development. This integrated approach could significantly accelerate progress in the field, much like open platforms have done for other areas of technology.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

While the announcement is exciting, challenges remain. Developing reliable and robust humanoid robots is complex. The estimated costs are for the units themselves and may not include assembly (if required), maintenance, or the cost of necessary computing hardware to run sophisticated AI models.

Furthermore, building a thriving open-source hardware community requires ongoing support, documentation, and engagement. Hugging Face will need to invest in these areas to ensure developers can effectively utilize and contribute to the platforms.

Despite these challenges, Hugging Face's entry into the affordable, open-source humanoid robotics space is a significant development. It signals a belief that the future of robotics, like AI software, can be driven by collaborative, accessible platforms rather than closed, proprietary systems. The success of HopeJR and Reachy Mini will likely depend on their performance, the strength of the supporting software ecosystem, and the community's willingness to embrace and build upon these open platforms.

As Hugging Face continues to expand its robotics portfolio, including potential future developments stemming from the Pollen Robotics acquisition and ongoing LeRobot initiatives, the landscape of AI-powered robots is poised for rapid evolution, potentially bringing advanced robotic capabilities within reach of a much broader audience.

The move aligns with a broader trend towards making advanced AI and robotics tools more accessible, a necessary step if these technologies are to reach their full potential and benefit society widely. Hugging Face's strategy could prove pivotal in shaping the future of robotics development, pushing it towards greater openness, collaboration, and affordability.

The company's commitment to open source is a powerful differentiator in a field often dominated by proprietary technology. By providing the building blocks – from AI models to physical robots – Hugging Face is empowering a new generation of robotics researchers and developers to innovate freely. This could lead to unforeseen applications and accelerate the integration of robots into various aspects of life, built on a foundation of transparency and shared knowledge.

The journey for HopeJR and Reachy Mini is just beginning, with the first units expected later this year. Their impact will unfold as the community begins to experiment, build, and share their creations, potentially ushering in a new era of accessible, open humanoid robotics.