Hugging Face is stepping deeper into robotics with an affordable and highly programmable creation: the SO-101 robotic arm. Best known for its popular AI platform, the company is now offering this 3D-printed arm to developers, hobbyists, and educators, starting at just $100.
The SO-101 builds on the success of Hugging Face’s first robotic arm, the SO-100, which launched last year. Designed in collaboration with French robotics firm The Robot Studio, the original SO-100 quickly became one of the most widely used budget robotic arms. Now, Hugging Face has returned to the drawing board with The Robot Studio — and added new partners like WowRobo, Seeed Studio, and PartaBot — to make the SO-101 even better.
The upgrades are easy to spot. While keeping the $100 entry point, the SO-101 is easier to assemble and comes equipped with stronger, smoother motors that help the arm move more reliably and hold its own weight with less strain. It also includes a built-in camera that uses reinforcement learning to improve its skills over time, letting it handle basic tasks like picking up Lego pieces and dropping them into bins.
Excitement for the launch is high. Hugging Face CEO Clement Delangue announced the SO-101 on social media, calling it “the first robot arm any AI builder should buy.”
However, the $100 price is just the starting point. Fully assembled units and imports affected by U.S. tariffs can push the final cost up to around $500, depending on where you buy it.
This move is part of Hugging Face’s broader expansion into robotics. The company recently acquired French startup Pollen Robotics, founded by former Tesla Optimus engineer Remi Cadene. Hugging Face now plans to sell Pollen’s humanoid robot, Reachy 2, while keeping the code open for developers to suggest improvements and contribute to its evolution.
With the SO-101 and future products like Reachy 2, Hugging Face is clearly aiming to make programmable, AI-powered robotics more accessible — and it’s only just getting started.
