- Author
- Posted by charleszyong, with replies from many commenters
- Published
- 10 June 2025
- Kind
- Hacker News launch post with discussion thread
- Original
- news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44240302
- Subject
- Systems and hardware
What it is
Charles posts as the founder of Vassar Robotics, a Y Combinator company. The post offers a kit based on the LeRobot SO-101 arm.
What it says
- The poster says the $219 kit keeps SO-101 kinematics and adds two 480 p cameras.
- The poster says an MIT-licensed MCP server will let language models call the arm.
- The poster says the arm is 5 DOF plus a gripper, with ST3215 servos.
- The poster says force peaks near 15 N, enough for scratches but not serious injury.
- The poster explains that pricing is low because of design for manufacturing and thin margins.
- Commenters ask how it learns. Replies say a leader arm records motions for replay.
- A roboticist asks for more DOF, torque sensing and tool changers. The poster calls some doable.
What evidence it gives
The post and replies offer the founder's specifications and explanations. Commenters add experience with similar arms and with hobby hardware. Some link demo videos and the LeRobot project. No benchmarks or independent tests appear.
Interests and limits
The poster sells the product and has an interest in the launch. Claims on price, strength and accuracy come from the seller. The poster says $219 is for the unassembled kit. The poster says the arm lacks fine accuracy, with about 1 degree of play. The kit sold out in the thread, and nothing shows how it performed once shipped. The linked videos and shop were not viewed.