What it is
Reachy is where AI meets physical reality: a $299 desktop robot that became a platform for exploring embodied AI, speech interfaces, and the meta-experience of building with AI assistants.
The Robot
Reachy Mini Lite is a 6-DOF expressive robot with LED eyes, antennas, camera, and microphones. It can nod, shake, dance, and express emotions. It's designed for research, education, and developer experimentation.
The Build Story
This project has a unique meta-narrative: Claude Code builds applications for Reachy while documenting the entire development process. Every session becomes content: devlogs, blog posts, and tutorials that show what's possible when AI assists with robotics development.
Technical Experiments
- Speech-to-Speech: Local voice processing with Piper TTS and Canary ASR running on-device
- Conversation App: OpenAI Realtime API integration for natural dialogue
- Focus Guardian: A productivity body-double that monitors attention during work sessions
- Custom Animations: Victory dances, attention wiggles, and emotional expressions
The Community
RunReachyRun.io serves as a hub for Reachy developers, sharing apps, utilities, and lessons learned. The goal is to lower the barrier for others exploring embodied AI.
Why This Matters
As AI becomes more capable, it needs to interact with the physical world. Reachy is a sandbox for understanding how AI agents might control physical systems, express themselves, and collaborate with humans in shared spaces.
Connected work