Hugging Face announced two open-source robots on May 29, 2025: HopeJR, a full-size humanoid project, and Reachy Mini, a desktop robot for coding, learning, and AI experimentation. Neither is established by the available product information as a general-purpose home assistant or household-chore robot. Reachy Mini has documented product details and purchase options; HopeJR’s current availability is unverified.
What Hugging Face announced
Hugging Face co-founder and CEO Clément Delangue announced HopeJR and Reachy Mini on May 29, 2025, describing them as open-source AI robots. His launch post named prices of $3,000 for HopeJR and $300 for Reachy Mini; those were announcement-era figures, not confirmation of current retail prices. Read the announcement.
The projects address different uses. HopeJR was presented as a full-size humanoid, while Reachy Mini is a compact, kit-based robot for human-robot interaction, creative coding, education, research, and AI experimentation. The word “domestic” can suggest a robot that does household chores, but that capability is not established for either project.
HopeJR: a full-size humanoid project
TechCrunch’s launch-period coverage described HopeJR as having 66 actuated degrees of freedom, including movement for walking and the arms. It reported an estimate of about $3,000 per unit, attributed to robotics engineer Rémi Cadène’s launch post. The article also said Delangue expected at least the first few units to ship by the end of 2025, while noting there was no exact shipping timeline. These are historical launch claims, not confirmation of current specifications, production, or sale availability. TechCrunch’s report quotes Delangue saying the goal was to make robots that people can assemble, rebuild, and understand rather than depend on “dangerous black-box systems.”
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →#1 Best Overall
- Compatible with Arduino. Features an Arduino UNO R3 controller and an expansion board, ensuring full compatibility with the Arduino programming. Hiwonder miniAuto robot car also provides ample expansion ports for secondary development
- Vision Recognition & Tracking. Equipped with an ESP32-S3 vision module, miniAuto robotic car supports WiFi video transmission and enables applications such as vision line following, AI face recognition, and color tracking
- 360° Omnidirectional Movement. With Mecanum wheels, miniAuto stem robot car can move in any direction, supporting various motion modes to navigate complex surfaces effortlessly
- Autonomous Driving. With a 4-channel line follower and the vision module, miniAuto AI vision car can perform line following, crossroad recognition, traffic light detection, and more autonomous driving capabilities
- Robot Gripper Expansion. This robotic gripper expansion enables object transportation, line following, visual transport, and numerous other creative projects, taking your creativity to the next level
Reachy Mini: a desktop robot for building and learning
Reachy Mini is approximately 28 cm high, 16 cm wide, and 1.5 kg, and is sold as a kit. Its listed hardware includes a moving head with six degrees of freedom, body rotation, two animated antennas, a wide-angle camera, four microphones, and a 5-watt speaker. The official page describes it as an early-development product and frames its uses around interaction, coding, and experimentation—not household work. See the official Reachy Mini product page.
The official product page listed $399 for Lite and $499 for wireless when checked on October 5, 2026; taxes and shipping are extra, and prices may change. Those amounts differ from the $300 announcement figure and other published figures: TechCrunch reported $299 for Lite and $449 for wireless in July 2025, while Axios reported a $299–$449 range in May 2026. Treat each as a dated snapshot and verify the checkout total before ordering. The official page says orders ship DAP, meaning the buyer pays shipping, import duties, taxes, and customs fees.
Rank #2
- ♥Robot Arm Building Kit: this mini robot kit will provide the required hardware and tools to show you how to build a robot kit step by step. NOTE: You need to prepare two batteries.
- ♥Flexible 4DF Arm Robot: The 4-axis design robotic arm is flexible and can grab objects in any direction. The clip can be opened 260°, the wrist can be rotated 180°, the elbow can be rotated 180°, and the base can be rotated 180°.
- ♥Easy To Build And Learn: we provide easy-to-follow assembly and programming tutorials, as well as quick-response after-sales and technical support.
- ♥Remember and Repeat Actions: not only the desk robot hand can be controlled by the joystick we provide, it can also record up to 170 actions and repeat these actions once.
- ♥Great Gift: this mini robot arm is a DIY electronic kit for Adults/Beginners/Teens to improve building, coding and programming skills.
Reachy Mini Lite vs. wireless
| Feature | Reachy Mini Lite | Reachy Mini wireless |
|---|---|---|
| Computing | Uses a connected Mac or Linux computer | Includes onboard Raspberry Pi 4 computing |
| Connection and power | Wired connection | Wi-Fi and battery |
| Sensors and output | Camera, four microphones, and speaker | Camera, four microphones, speaker, and accelerometer |
| Official product-page price checked October 5, 2026 | $399, before taxes and shipping | $499, before taxes and shipping |
These are documented specifications, not results from independent comparative testing. The official page links to the Pollen Robotics store for purchase details; check its current listing and checkout terms because prices and delivery information can change.
Try the software without buying a robot
Hugging Face’s documentation offers a simulation route for people who do not have the physical kit. For those with hardware, it describes one-click apps from Hugging Face Spaces, including examples such as a conversation app, radio, and hand tracker. The documentation says the software is licensed under Apache 2.0 and the hardware design files under Creative Commons BY-SA-NC. Read the Reachy Mini documentation.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
- Beginner-friendly: The ACEBOTT smart robot car kit is controlled by an advanced ESP32 controller board, making programming easy. Through 16 story-rich tutorials, students will systematically master the principles of programming and electronic hardware, and easily master the mysteries of the smart car. (The robot kit does not include batteries)
- Rich Expandability: ACEBOTT based on the classic omnidirectional mecanum wheel robot car kit, we have added a rich set of expansion packs that can be freely matched: camera expansion pack, robotic arm expansion pack, tank expansion pack, solar expansion pack. Whether it is App and IR remote control, photo taking, image recognition, voice recognition, tracking mode, shooting, or multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arms, etc., the STEM robot kit will satisfy your desire for exploration and unleash your creativity!
- All-round control: This ACEBOTT coding robot for kids is equipped with advanced 6cm omnidirectional Mecanum wheels, also known as omnidirectional wheels or lion wheels, which can easily achieve 360° movement in any direction, support multiple movement modes (forward, sideways, diagonal, rotation), and can complete difficult actions such as left and right drifting, and easily cross any position, including narrow bends, narrow alleys, and intricate roads.
- Multi-way Cruise & Multi-direction Obstacle Avoidance: Accurate multi-way cruise allows the rc control car to easily plan the path and realize autonomous navigation; multi-direction obstacle avoidance allows flexible response in the face of obstacles; the new follow mode allows the car to always follow your steps.
- IR remote Control and App Control: Allows children to control this robotics kit through the IR remote control and App, make you enjoy the fun and convenience of intelligent technology. Simply master all the actions of the car with just one touch.
Which one is the better fit?
- Choose Reachy Mini as the relevant option if you want a small physical platform for coding, interaction, or AI experiments and are comfortable with a kit-based development product.
- Use the simulation if you want to explore the software without buying hardware.
- Follow HopeJR as an announced project if you are interested in full-size humanoid robotics, but do not treat the reported price or expected initial shipments as proof it can currently be ordered.
Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue told Axios, “Our goal is to make it so that everyone can build for their own use cases.” Axios reported in May 2026 that about 10,000 Reachy Mini devices were with customers or on the way, including 3,000 shipped in the preceding week, and that its app store had around 200 apps. These are company-attributed snapshot figures, not independently audited sales or evidence of household-task capability. Read Axios’s report.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Entry-level Coding Robot Toy: mBot robot kit is an excellent educational robot toys, designed for learning electronics, robotics and computer programming in a simple and fun way. From Scratch to Arduino, this STEM projects for kids ages 8-12 helps kids to learn programming step by step via interactive software and learning resources
- Easy to Build: With clearly building instructions, this building kit can be easily built within 15 minutes. Kids will learn more about electronics, machinery, and robotics components through building mBot. You can also play this STEM projects for kids ages 8-12 as a remote control car with its multi-functions: line-follow, obstacle-avoidance and so on
- Rich Tutorials for Programming: With Offerring coding cards and lessons, children can easily use all fonctions of mBot and creat projects by themselves. Matched with 3 free Makeblock apps and mBlock software, kids can enjoy remote control, play programming games, and coding with mBot robot kit. Note that the remote controller needs a CR2025 battery(NOT INCLUDED), and the robot kit needs 4 AA batteries (NOT INCLUDED)
- Awesome Gift for Kids: Surprise your little Kids with super cool robotics kit and let them discover the secrets of programming and electronics. Being well packaged and metal material, this robot kit is a perfect learning and educational toy gift for boys and girls on Birthday, Children's Day, Christmas, Easter, Summer Camp Activities, Back To School, Home Fun Time
- Creative Robot with Add-on Packs: So many fun configuration with an open-source system, this programmable robot is compatible with rich add-on packs. mBot can be connected to 100+ electronic modules and 500+ parts from the Makeblock platform, compatible with LEGO parts
Rank #4
- 4-in-1 Modular Robot Car for Endless Builds – Includes the base robot car (QD001), tank track expansion (QD004), and robotic arm kit (QD007), letting kids build multiple robot styles. Create a robotic arm car to grab and move objects, a tank robot for outdoor adventures, or combine both into a robotic arm tank. This versatile robotics kit for kids encourages creativity, hands-on STEM learning, and problem-solving—perfect for home learning, classrooms, and STEM training programs.
- Build Your Own Programmable Robotic Arm. This advanced robot kit includes a 5DOF programmable robotic arm, powered by an ESP32 controller. Kids and teens can build their own robot, learning how to grab, lift, and place objects. With 16 guided tutorials and HD assembly videos, this robotics kit offers hands-on experience in coding robot control, real-world robotics, and problem-solving—ideal for STEM kits for kids age 12–14 and engineering kits for kids age 14–16.
- Rugged Tracks for All-Terrain Adventure. This STEM tank robot kit features rubber tank treads that handle grass, gravel, slopes, and carpet with ease—ideal for outdoor and off-road play. The upgraded drivetrain ensures stability and traction, making it the perfect robotics kit for hands-on exploration and real-world navigation.
- Build Your Own Robot with Hands-On STEM Fun. Equipped with an ESP32 controller and compatible with Arduino & Scratch, this robotics kit includes 16 story-based tutorials that guide beginners step by step through assembly and coding. Perfect for science fair projects, classroom use, or fun family STEM nights, helping kids or teens master electronics, mechanics, and programming. Tutorial & code download path: ACEBOTT Official Website → Resources → WIKI and Assembly Video.
- App & Remote Control. With both IR remote and smartphone App (iOS & Android), this programmable robot car offers easy, flexible control indoors and outdoors. Whether kids are coding or just playing, it enhances confidence and excitement while exploring technology—an excellent robotics kit for independent learning.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
