Teleoperate an arm
SO-101 →
Compare follower-only and leader–follower configurations, then follow the pinned build and calibration route.
Printed frame, compatible host computer and calibration on the actual arms.
The open robotics reference desk
Find your next robotics project.
Explore open source robots, components and software. Compare requirements, parts costs and licenses, then find resources to get started.
Source researched · Hardware not tested by us. How we review →
From the catalogSO-101 ↗
01
Robots & components
131 profiles: robots, controllers, sensors and parts costs.
02
Software
23 profiles: tools for control, simulation and robot learning.
03
End effectors
43 profiles: grippers, hands and tools, with documented interfaces.
Choose by task
Three ways to start
Selected for their documented workflows. Source researched; we have not tested these setups.
Start in simulation
Webots →
Follow the documented introductory tutorial to build a virtual world and run a controller.
Check the supported operating system and installation requirements before starting.
Explore robot learning
LeRobot →
Begin with an existing dataset to inspect observations and actions before choosing physical hardware.
Python and workflow-specific dependencies; training needs a separate compute budget.
Builds with US prices
Parts lists we priced line by line from US listings, with what each price leaves out. Priced Oct 4, 2026.
- SO-101From USD 150.28SO-101 follower only, 7.4 V servosKnown US parts subtotal · Oct 4, 2026
- Koch armFrom USD 245.85Koch follower only, elbow-to-wrist extensionKnown US parts subtotal · Oct 4, 2026
- LeKiwiFrom USD 546.97LeKiwi 5 V with SO-101 follower and leader armsKnown US parts subtotal · Oct 4, 2026
- MicrobanFrom USD 585.27Microban (19 x XL330-M288-T, Pi Zero 2 W, RPI Robot HAT)Known US parts subtotal · Oct 4, 2026
- Berkeley Humanoid LiteFrom USD 3,349.90Berkeley Humanoid Lite, full robot (10 M6C12 + 12 5010 actuators)Known US parts subtotal · Oct 4, 2026
Planning a build
Start with the right questions.
comparison
SO-101 follower or leader–follower: what changes in the parts list?
Compare exact servo quantities, boards and shared requirements before choosing an SO-101 configuration.
Read the guide →sourcingHow to read a robotics parts estimate before buying
Use examples from SO-101, LeKiwi and Microban to identify missing costs, dated offers and unverified substitutions.
Read the guide →Learn robotics
Find free courses, books and exercises by topic, level and the equipment you have.
What we’re working toward
Today: source-researched profiles and parts estimates. Next: hands-on build reports with setup steps, failures and repeatable results. Kits may follow after testing; none are available yet.
Read our testing plan →