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4w ago

Hugging Face Enters Robotics Hardware with Pollen Robotics Acquisition

The AI company integrates the Reachy 2 humanoid robot and its creators, advancing open-source robotics to accelerate embodied AI development.

Hugging Face robotics and AI researchers Simon Alibert and Rémi Cadene pose next to Reachy 2, the humanoid robot made by Pollen Robotics. Hugging Face announced today that is it buying Pollen Robotics for an undisclosed amount. The move marks Hugging Face's first move into offering hardware.
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Overview

  • Hugging Face has acquired Pollen Robotics, a French startup known for its open-source humanoid robot Reachy 2, marking its first move into robotics hardware.
  • The acquisition includes Pollen Robotics' 20-plus employees, including co-founders Matthieu Lapeyre and Pierre Rouanet, who will join Hugging Face's team.
  • Reachy 2, currently priced at $70,000, is used in academic research and development, with plans to reduce costs and eventually open-source its hardware designs.
  • Hugging Face aims to democratize robotics by promoting transparency and community collaboration, extending its open-source ethos to physical systems.
  • This move aligns with the company's vision of integrating advanced AI with robotics to drive innovation toward embodied AI and human-like general intelligence.