Start here · Get a robot · Updated 2026-08-23
You want the arm that the most tutorials, datasets, and Discord answers assume you have. In 2026 that is the SO-101. This guide gives you the honest numbers and the one decision that actually matters.
Three reasons. The official LeRobot docs treat it as the flagship beginner build. The community records most of its public datasets on it, so data and examples transfer to your arm. And it is cheap enough that a mistake does not hurt: the official parts list totals about $230 US for a full leader and follower pair if you print the frame yourself.
Three routes, from what we verified on vendor pages in August 2026. Do-it-yourself: buy motors and electronics (about $200 for a motor kit at Seeed, or $229.88 for the full official two-arm parts list) and 3D print the frame from the free files. Partly assembled kits: vendors like WowRobo list kits around $199 plus printed parts options. Fully assembled: US vendors like Partabot start at $329 and go up from there; we could not confirm a full assembled-pair price, so budget above that starting number. The official vendor list lives in the SO-ARM100 repository.
The leader and follower pair is how you record training data. You move the small leader arm by hand, the follower copies you, and the recording becomes an episode. One arm alone can run trained models but cannot easily record new data, and recording is most of the fun and all of the learning.
A webcam or two (any basic USB camera works to start), a USB-C cable, the two power supplies from the parts list, and a table clamp. If you do not own a 3D printer, most cities have print services, or pick a kit that includes printed parts.
The Koch arm is the SO-101's older sibling with less current tooling attention. ALOHA-style two-handed rigs are wonderful and cost many times more. Unitree robots are mobile and priced like used cars. Start with the SO-101, outgrow it later. In our own index, SO-101 and SO-100 data dominates what the community publishes.