Reachy 2

Pollen Robotics' open-source humanoid robot platform

Reachy 2

Home > Hardware > Humanoids > Reachy 2

Overview

Reachy 2 is a humanoid robot released in October 2024 by Pollen Robotics, headquartered in Bordeaux, France. Software is fully open-source, and some hardware designs are also public (see license structure). It was designed for Embodied AI research, human-robot interaction, and teleoperation, and was reportedly acquired by Hugging Face in April 2025. 1

ItemSpecSource
ManufacturerPollen Robotics (Bordeaux, France)Official Site
ReleaseOctober 2024 (per reports)The Robot Report
Total DoF18 (7-DoF arm x 2 + 3-DoF neck + 1-DoF antenna)Official Documentation
Height136-166cm (adjustable)Datasheet
Weight50kgDatasheet
Arm Payload3kg (per arm)Datasheet
Price$70,000 USD (per January 2025 report)Decrypt

License Structure

Reachy 2 has different licenses applied depending on the component.

ComponentLicenseVerification Method
Python SDK (reachy2-sdk)Apache 2.0GitHub LICENSE file
ROS2 Core (reachy2_core)Apache 2.0GitHub LICENSE file
VR Teleoperation AppApache 2.0GitHub LICENSE file
Orbita FirmwareApache 2.0GitHub LICENSE file
Orbita Electronics/Cable DesignCC-BY-SA-NC (unofficial forum info)Pollen Forum
URDF ModelApache 2.0GitHub (reachy2_core)

Note:

  • The CC-BY-SA-NC license for Orbita electronics/cable design was confirmed from community forum posts; verification with official license files needed
  • Check Orbita patent (FR3141363A1) for commercial hardware replication
  • License and disclosure scope of CAD files requires separate verification

Key Significance

Software Open-Source Humanoid Platform

The main significance of Reachy 2 is that it’s a humanoid platform where the software stack is completely open-source. Hardware has some publicly released components like URDF models, but the entire hardware is not open-source.

  1. Software Open-Source: Full ROS2-based software stack, Python SDK, and Unity VR app released under Apache 2.0 license 2
  2. Hardware Transparency: URDF models and control interfaces public on GitHub (some hardware designs are limited)
  3. Research Institution Adoption: According to Hugging Face blog, adopted by Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, CNRS, CEA, etc. 1
  4. Hugging Face Integration: AI model training and deployment support through LeRobot framework integration

“Pollen is the open-source hardware expert, and we (Hugging Face) are the open-source software experts. That complementarity was obvious.” - Hugging Face Blog 1

Orbita Actuator

Orbita is a patented technology self-developed by Pollen Robotics, the key component enabling Reachy’s natural and flexible movements. 3

Orbita 3D (Neck, Wrist)

ItemSpecSource
DoF3-DoF parallel mechanismOfficial Documentation
MotorsMaxon DC brushless (40W x 3)Official Documentation
ControlFOC (Field Oriented Control)Pollen Forum
CommunicationEtherCATPollen Forum
FeatureQuaternion-based control (instead of Euler angles)Pollen Forum

Orbita 2D (Shoulder, Elbow)

ItemSpecSource
DoF2-DoF parallel mechanismOfficial Documentation
MotorsMaxon DC brushless (90-120W)Maxon Blog
Speed50rpm (nominal)Official Documentation

Technical Innovation

  • Parallel Mechanism: 3 concentric stage motor shafts simultaneously drive 3 discs
  • Compact Form Factor: Miniaturized design placeable anywhere on the robot body
  • Patent: FR3141363A1 - Pollen Robotics stated this is the only patent filed for negotiations with industrial partners 3

Hardware

Arms and Gripper

PartSpecSource
Arm Configuration7-DoF x 2, bio-inspired design with human proportionsDatasheet
MotorsMaxon DC brushless (90-120W)Maxon Blog
GripperTorque-controlled parallel gripperOfficial Documentation
Payload3kg/6.6lbs (per arm)Datasheet

Sensors and Vision

SensorSpecSource
Stereo CameraIMX296 global shutter x 2Humanoid.guide
Depth CameraOrbbec Gemini 336 RGB-D (torso)Humanoid.guide
ToF SensorLuxonis OAK-FFC-ToFHumanoid.guide
LiDARRPLIDAR S2 (mobile base option)Datasheet
AudioSpatial audio supportOfficial Site

Configuration Options

Reachy 2 is available in 4 configurations:

ConfigurationDescription
Single Arm + Fixed BaseBasic research use
Dual Arm + Fixed BaseBimanual manipulation research
Single Arm + AMR BaseMobile single manipulation
Dual Arm + AMR BaseFull mobile manipulation

The mobile base features 3 omniwheels and multiple sensors. 4

Software

ROS2 Support

  • ROS2 Foxy fully integrated 2
  • reachy2_core: URDF, launch files, Gazebo simulation assets
  • reachy2_sdk_server: gRPC-ROS2 bridge server
  • Docker one-line installation support

Python SDK

# Installation
pip install reachy2-sdk

# Basic usage example
from reachy2_sdk import ReachySDK
reachy = ReachySDK(host='reachy.local')
reachy.head.look_at(x=0.5, y=0, z=0.4)
  • Windows/Mac/Linux support
  • Python >= 3.6
  • Jupyter notebook examples provided

VR Teleoperation

ItemSpecSource
PlatformUnity LTS 2022.3GitHub
Supported HMDMeta Quest 2, Quest 3 (Quest Link required)Official Documentation
Latency125ms (glass-to-glass, per report)Humanoid.guide
Video StreamingGStreamer-basedGitHub
FeaturesStereo 3D vision, spatial audio, emotion expression (antenna)Official Documentation

VR teleoperation is ideal for remote manipulation research and AI data collection, allowing real-time control of the robot’s arms, hands, and head.

Version Comparison

ItemReachy 1 (2020)Reachy 2 (2024)
Weight7kg50kg
Arm Payload~1kg3kg
MotorsDC motorsMaxon DC brushless (90-120W)
ActuatorsBasic servosOrbita 2D/3D parallel mechanism
Vision2 cameras (macro/wide)IMX296 stereo + RGB-D + ToF
GripperBasic gripperTorque-controlled parallel gripper
SoftwareROS1ROS2 Foxy
Mobile BaseLimitedAMR option (omniwheel, LiDAR)
AwardsANA XPrize 2nd place-

Source: ROBOTS Guide, Pollen Robotics

Major Improvements

  1. Enhanced Payload: Increased to 3kg per arm for real task performance
  2. Orbita Actuators: Maxon motor integration for more natural and precise movements
  3. Enhanced Sensing: RGB-D, ToF sensor additions for improved depth perception
  4. Modular Design: Easy alternative gripper and mobile base integration
  5. VR Teleoperation: 125ms low-latency real-time remote manipulation

Pollen Robotics Company Background

ItemInformationSource
Founded2016PitchBook
LocationBordeaux, FranceOfficial Site
FoundersPierre Rouanet, Matthieu Lapeyre (former Inria Flowers team)Official Site
Employees~23 (Tracxn 2025 basis)Tracxn
Total Investment$2.61M (PitchBook report)PitchBook
AcquisitionApril 2025 by Hugging Face (reported)Hugging Face Blog

History

  • 2016: Pollen Robotics founded
  • 2017: Poppy (first 3D-printed open-source humanoid) released
  • 2020: Reachy 1 released, ANA XPrize 2nd place
  • 2024: Reachy 2 released (October)
  • 2025: Reachy 2 debuted at CES 2025, acquired by Hugging Face (April, per reports)

Source: Hugging Face Blog, PitchBook

Philosophy

“Technology should be open, ethical, and accessible. The company must work for people and the world, not the other way around.”

Source: Pollen Robotics About Us

Adoption Status

According to Hugging Face blog, the Reachy platform has been deployed and used in over 20 countries with hundreds of units. 1

Major Institutions (per Hugging Face blog and The Robot Report):

  • Hugging Face
  • Accenture
  • CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission)
  • CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research)
  • Ecole Polytechnique
  • Cornell University
  • Carnegie Mellon University

Source: Hugging Face Blog, The Robot Report

References

Official Materials

GitHub Repositories

Technical Materials

News and Reviews

Footnotes

See Also

Footnotes

  1. Hugging Face. (2025, April). “Hugging Face to sell open-source robots thanks to Pollen Robotics acquisition.” https://huggingface.co/blog/hugging-face-pollen-robotics-acquisition ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. Open Robotics Discourse. (2024). “Reachy 2 humanoid – full ROS 2 dev stack now open-source.” https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/reachy-2-humanoid-full-ros-2-dev-stack-now-open-source-one-line-docker-sim-python-sdk/43362 ↩ ↩2

  3. Pollen Robotics. “Orbita: A 3D joint for robotic head motion realism.” Medium. https://medium.com/pollen-robotics/orbita-is-turning-heads-literally-d10d378550e2 ↩ ↩2

  4. Pollen Robotics. “Reachy 2 - The first open-source humanoid robot.” https://www.pollen-robotics.com/reachy/ ↩