Hugging Face, an AI development platform, expanded its robotics portfolio on Thursday by unveiling two new open-source humanoid robots: HopeJR and Reachy Mini, TechCrunch reported.
HopeJR is a full-size humanoid robot featuring 66 actuated degrees of freedom, enabling independent movements such as walking and arm manipulation. Reachy Mini is a compact desktop unit designed to move its head, speak, listen, and serve as a platform for testing AI applications.
Hugging Face estimates that HopeJR will cost approximately $3,000 per unit, while Reachy Mini will be priced between $250 and $300, depending on tariffs.
“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 does not get dominated by just a few big players with dangerous black-box systems,” Delangue stated via email.
According to Delangue, Hugging Face’s acquisition of the humanoid robotics startup Pollen Robotics, announced in April, was instrumental in enabling this robot release. He noted that the Pollen team provided Hugging Face with “new capabilities” essential for developing these robots.
Hugging Face has been actively expanding into the robotics sector in recent years. In 2024, it launched LeRobot, a suite of open AI models, datasets, and tools designed for building robotics systems.
Cost of Humanoids
As American tech companies race to develop humanoid robots, the trend may gain momentum as the cost of manufacturing these AI-based machines is projected to decrease significantly over the next decade. According to Bank of America (BofA) research, the bill of materials (BOM) cost per unit could drop to as low as $13,000–$17,000 by 2030–2035.
This represents a reduction of over 50% in BOM costs within the next five years. The report estimates that by the end of 2025, the BOM cost for a typical humanoid robot will be approximately $35,000 per unit, assuming most components are manufactured in China.
The cost estimate is based on several assumptions: the robot features 16 rotary actuators with harmonic reducers and 14 linear actuators with planetary roller screws; it includes a dexterous hand with six degrees of freedom; its vision system comprises a depth camera and LiDAR; and it utilises Chinese-made components wherever possible to minimise costs.
