The Hugging Face blog post announces Reachy Mini, an open-source, desktop-sized robot designed for AI experimentation, human-robot interaction, and creative coding. Priced from $299, it comes in two variants: Reachy Mini Lite ($299, wired, requires external computing) and Reachy Mini Wireless ($449, autonomous with Raspberry Pi 5, Wi-Fi, and battery). Measuring 11 inches tall and 3.3 lbs, it features a motorized head with six degrees of freedom, body rotation, animated antennas, a wide-angle camera, microphones (two for Lite, four for Wireless), a 5W speaker, and an accelerometer.
Fully programmable in Python (with JavaScript and Scratch support planned), it integrates with the Hugging Face Hub, offering access to over 1.7 million AI models and 400,000 datasets. It ships as a DIY kit with 15+ pre-installed behaviors (e.g., face tracking, dancing) and supports simulation via an open-source Python SDK. Aimed at AI developers, educators, researchers, and hobbyists, it fosters community-driven development through behavior sharing. Currently in early development, it’s offered without warranties to engage early adopters. Shipping for the Lite version starts in August 2025, with the Wireless version following later in the year.
