Hugging Face: Ex-Tesla lead humanoid firm gets 3D printing robot power to take on China
Hugging Face to retail Reachy 2, a $70K open-source, VR-ready humanoid robot used in labs like Cornell and Carnegie Mellon.
Hugging Face is making its first big leap into hardware with the acquisition of French startup Pollen Robotics, the creators of the open-source humanoid robot Reachy 2.
Known for its widely used open-source AI model hub, Hugging Face is now expanding into physical robotics, adding around 30 new employees through the deal.
While financial details were not disclosed, the move signals the company’s (including ex-Tesla staff scientist) ambition to compete in the global robotics race, including with China, by combining 3D printing capabilities and AI-driven humanoid tech.
“We believe robotics could be the next frontier unlocked by AI — and it should be open, affordable, and private. Our vision: a future where everyone in the community, from hobbyists to enterprises, can build or use robot assistants or games, starting from open solutions instead of closed, remote controlled, hardware,” said Thomas Wolf, co-founder, and chief scientist at Hugging Face, in a statement.