- Type
- DIY kit desk robot
- Interaction
- Voice conversation app
- Subscription
- None
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Pollen Robotics (Hugging Face) Reachy Mini
Open source desk robot kit with expressive head, for AI tinkerers
Researched by Riley Hart · updated Nov 2, 2026
Is the Pollen Robotics (Hugging Face) Reachy Mini worth it? Reachy Mini is a charming, fully open desk robot for people who want to build and code their own AI companion. It costs $499 as of Nov 4, 2026, and 3 independent reviewers tested it.
Reachy Mini is a charming, fully open desk robot for people who want to build and code their own AI companion. Hands on testers liked the kit quality but hit setup bugs, network problems and a loose cable. Skip it if you want a plug and play assistant, because it expects Linux and Python comfort.
Best for: makers learning AI and robotics. Skip if: you want a ready made companion that just works.
Specs
- Type
- DIY kit desk robot with a moving head, antennas and rotating body; Wireless and Lite versions share the same body
- Interaction
- Voice conversation app, head and antenna motion, community apps from the Hugging Face hub; SDK in Python and JavaScript (CNX Software)
- Ai features
- Runs AI apps on a connected computer or the cloud; Jeff Geerling found the conversation app connects to OpenAI without asking for consent
- Camera
- Wide angle camera; Geerling found a Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2 behind a fisheye lens. Four microphones and a 5W speaker (Pollen, CNX Software); Liliputing reported two mics on Lite at launch
- Mobility
- Stationary; 6 DoF head, 9 servo motors in total (CNX Software). Wireless version works with an optional hoverboard base (Pollen)
- Compute
- Wireless: built in Raspberry Pi CM4 per Pollen and Geerling (launch coverage said Raspberry Pi 5). Lite: no onboard computer, runs from a Mac, PC or Linux machine over USB
- Battery runtime
- Wireless has a built in battery; runtime not published. Lite has no battery
- Size weight
- About 280 x 160 mm (11 x 6.3 in), about 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) (Liliputing, CNX Software)
3 year cost of ownership
- Robot
- $499
- Total
- $499
No subscription. Prices exclude shipping, import duties and taxes (Pollen). Pollen says orders ship within 90 days. Cloud AI apps may cost extra through your own API keys; no figure is published.
Status and safety
- US availability
- ● On sale
- Recalls
- ● No Pollen Robotics (Hugging Face) robot recall in the CPSC database as of Nov 4, 2026. Checked daily.
- FCC authorized
- Not checked
- Company
- ● Active; Pollen Robotics is owned by Hugging Face
- Warranty
- Not listed
Price history
Tracked dailyWhere to buy
- Amazon
- See price →
- Pollen Robotics store (Wireless)
- $499 →
- Pollen Robotics store (Lite)
- $399 →
Affiliate links. We may earn a commission. It never changes our score. Disclosure
Pros
- Fully open source hardware and software
- Expressive 6 DoF head with camera, mics and speaker
- Large library of community apps
- Solid kit that families built in 2 to 3 hours
Cons
- Setup bugs and broken docs reported by testers
- APIs and web UI open by default with no login (Geerling)
- Price rose from $449 to $499 for Wireless
- No published battery life
What independent reviewers found
- Built the $449 Wireless kit in under 2 hours. Setup failed until he fixed an IPv6 DNS issue, APIs were open with no authentication, Marionette playback was inaccurate and the desktop app was flaky on Linux. Called it a neat idea but not a plug and play AI assistant.
- Jeff Geerling
- Spent about 3 hours on the 46 assembly steps for a Lite unit. The app could not find the robot; with Pollen's help he traced it to a disconnected 300 mm motor cable that needed the body taken apart.
- Make: (Dale Dougherty)
- Waited about five months from a July 2025 preorder. The head assembly was the hardest step; otherwise no problems, and the desktop app was macOS only at the time. Said the wait was worth it.
- Level Up Coding (Renjith Ravindranathan)
Spec history
Checked dailyNo spec changes since we started tracking on Nov 2, 2026.
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Questions buyers ask
What is the difference between Wireless and Lite?
Wireless has a built in Raspberry Pi CM4, battery, Wi-Fi and accelerometer. Lite has none of these and runs from your computer over USB. Both share the same body, camera, mics and speaker.
Does it come assembled?
No. Both ship as a kit. Pollen says about 2.5 hours; testers took 2 to 3 hours.
Does it need an internet AI service?
The conversation app uses a cloud model; Jeff Geerling found it connects to OpenAI. Running models locally needs a strong GPU computer.
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