Priya S.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course + arm kit
The final project with mentor sign-off pushed me to clean up my code properly. Went from never touching hardware to a working pick-and-place demo in about two months.
Robonine Labs ยท Online course + robot kit
Assemble, program and train a real robot โ
from your desk at home
A self-paced online robotics course with a personal mentor. Build the SO-ARM101 5-DOF arm, program it in Python, give it vision and train neural-network policies โ the same open-source stack (HuggingFace LeRobot) used in university robotics labs.
- Real SO-ARM101 hardware, not simulators
- 11 modules ยท final project
- Online course with a personal mentor
- HuggingFace LeRobot ecosystem
See it move
The arm in action
The program
From a screwdriver to machine learning in 11 modules
A module takes about 30โ40 minutes, and there are no pacing limits โ do them all in one sitting or spread them out. Every module ends with a working result on your desk โ the progression is honest, no filler.
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01
Assembly
Build and calibrate your SO-ARM101 โ mechanics, servos, first power-on.
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02
Anatomy of a robot
Servo bus, controller, power. Send your first commands from a computer.
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03
Motion in Python
Joint positions and trajectories โ make the arm move exactly how you tell it.
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04
Kinematics without pain
Forward and inverse kinematics in practice: reach any point in space.
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05
Grasping & manipulation
Drive the parallel gripper: pick-and-place with repeatable precision.
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06
Computer vision
Camera + OpenCV: find an object by colour and shape, then go grab it.
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07
Teleoperation
Drive the arm in real time with the leader arm โ your hand, its motions.
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08
Datasets
Record your own demonstrations as training data for the robot.
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09
Imitation learning
Train a neural-network policy (LeRobot) that repeats your movements โ autonomously.
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10
Final project
Design your own autonomous task and defend it to your mentor.
The hardware
Everything is in the box
In the kit
- SO-ARM101 follower arm โ 5-DOF with a parallel gripper
- Leader arm for teleoperation and recording demonstrations
- USB camera for the computer-vision and learning modules
- Power supplies, cables and desk clamps โ everything wired in one box
You'll need
- A computer โ Windows, macOS or Linux, no GPU required
- A free USB port and about 40ร40 cm of desk
- 30โ40 minutes per module, whenever it suits you
The kit ships unassembled โ building it is module one. Delivery in 3โ4 weeks.
Robonine Lab
The platform the whole course runs on
Every lesson lives on Robonine Lab โ our interactive course platform with checkpoints, code tasks and a live 3D view of your arm. You always know the next step and see real progress, not promises.
The mentor
Self-paced course, human support
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A real person guiding you
Your mentor is a robotics engineer who follows your progress through the whole course.
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Stuck never lasts long
A servo that won't calibrate, code that won't run, math that won't click โ ask, get unblocked, move on.
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Code review on module results
You don't just make it work โ you learn why it works, and how an engineer would write it.
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Final project sign-off
Your mentor reviews and approves your final autonomous task.
Where it leads
Skills that outlast the course
Robotics is the fastest-growing engineering field โ and the skills behind it are exactly the ones universities and employers screen for.
A robotics-engineer track
Mechanics, electronics, Python, computer vision and machine learning โ layered in the order a working engineer learns them.
The stack universities use
SO-ARM101 and LeRobot are the open-source standard in research labs โ what students learn here transfers one-to-one.
A portfolio, not just a certificate
Every module ends with a robot that does something real โ recorded, reproducible and worth showing at admissions or interviews.
Reviews
What learners say
4.8/5
Based on 23 reviews
Mark R.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course
I teach maths and wanted to see robotics done right. The mentored track gives you a real person reviewing your code, which changes everything for weaker students.
Ella T.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course + arm kit
My physics teacher recommended it. The camera module where the arm follows objects with OpenCV is my favourite โ I demoed it at our science fair.
Chris J.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
I have automated factories for twenty years and still learned things โ the LeRobot imitation learning setup is genuinely current. Kit quality is above what I expected.
Megan O.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course
Complete beginner and honestly nervous, but the first module has you assembling the arm with your hands, not staring at slides. By module five I was writing my own Python.
Noah B.
โ โ โ โ โ 4/5Mentored course + arm kit
Four stars only because the kit took a while to arrive. The course itself is excellent โ module lengths are honest, 30โ40 minutes each, and the mentor sign-off on the final project felt earned.
Rachel V.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
Bought it for my son and ended up doing half the modules with him. The instructions assume zero background, which was exactly right for us.
Aiden G.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course
Doing this alongside my CS degree. The teleoperation module where the leader arm drives the follower is the best lab I have done anywhere, uni included.
Sophie A.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
I write backend code all day, robotics was new. The dataset recording and imitation learning modules were the perfect bridge โ real ML on real hardware, not a simulator.
Jack N.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course + arm kit
I am 14 and built the whole arm myself in module one. My mentor helped me debug my colour detection script and now it works every time.
Laura F.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
Total career switcher here. Python from zero, then OpenCV, then my arm picking things up โ each module builds on the last without any jumps.
Ethan C.
โ โ โ โ โ 4/5Mentored course
Great structure, honest four stars โ I would have liked a couple more mentor hours for the imitation learning part. The LeRobot pipeline itself is explained well.
Hannah D.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course + arm kit
My 12-year-old daughter did the assembly module with me, then took over completely. She shows everyone the live 3D view of her arm on the platform.
Tom S.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
Retired and wanted a proper hobby. The Robonine Lab platform is clear enough that I never felt lost, and the arm has been on my desk running Python scripts ever since.
Grace L.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course + arm kit
Finished my final project last week โ the mentor signed it off after one round of fixes. Recording my own dataset and watching the arm learn from it was the highlight.
Ryan P.
โ โ โ โ โ 3/5Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
The content is good but delivery took almost three weeks and a couple of photos in the assembly instructions could be sharper. Once I got going, teleoperation with the leader arm worked exactly as shown.
Chloe M.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course
I took the mentored track to evaluate it for my school club. Eleven modules of 30โ40 minutes each, well scaffolded โ my mentor answered every question within a day.
Daniel H.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course + arm kit
As a mechanical engineer I appreciated that the kit ships complete โ camera, both power supplies, clamps. Nothing to order separately, and the mentor code review was surprisingly rigorous.
Olivia R.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
I had never coded before and now my arm sorts blocks by colour with the camera. The 30โ40 minute modules fit around school easily.
Michael B.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course
The imitation learning module with LeRobot blew my mind. You record datasets by teleoperating the follower arm with the leader, then the arm repeats the task on its own.
Sarah K.
โ โ โ โ โ 4/5Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
Solid course, the OpenCV module and the teleoperation part are great. I just wanted more depth in the kinematics section โ it felt a bit brief for someone who codes for a living.
James T.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Mentored course + arm kit
Got the kit for my 13-year-old son and he has done eight of the eleven modules on his own. The mentor checked his Python code and left comments he could actually understand.
Emma W.
โ โ โ โ โ 5/5Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
Assembled the SO-ARM101 over one weekend โ assembly is literally module one, so you start with a working arm instead of theory. The live 3D view in Robonine Lab made checking each joint really easy.
Leave a review
Pricing
Pick how you want to learn
Every kit includes the full course. The mentor is what you add when you want a human in the loop.
Already own the arm?
Mentored course
$349
- Full 11-module course on Robonine Lab
- Personal mentor and code review
- Works with your SO-ARM100/101
Most popular
Interactive course + unassembled arm kit
$389
- Full 11-module course on Robonine Lab
- Self-guided โ no mentor
- SO-ARM101 kit โ both arms, camera, everything in the box
- Ships unassembled โ building it is module one
The full package
Mentored course + arm kit
$649
- Full 11-module course on Robonine Lab
- Personal mentor through all 11 modules
- Code review and final-project sign-off
- SO-ARM101 kit โ both arms, camera, everything in the box
- Ships unassembled โ building it is module one
Course access lasts 12 months โ learn at your own pace. Kit specs and gallery: SO-ARM101 product page.
FAQ
Before you ask
Do I need any robotics or coding experience?
No robotics experience is needed โ the course starts with a screwdriver. To get the most out of it you'll want basic Python; everything else is taught along the way in small, practical steps.
What computer do I need? Do I need a GPU?
Any reasonably recent Windows, macOS or Linux laptop with a USB port. No GPU is required โ the neural-network training near the end of the course can run on a free cloud GPU, and the course shows you how.
Is it suitable for a 12-year-old?
Yes โ the kit is a low-voltage desktop arm and the course assumes no prior knowledge. Younger teens move faster with light parental involvement in the first modules; the mentor handles the technical questions.
How does the mentor actually work?
You get a personal mentor โ a robotics engineer โ for the whole course. They answer your questions, review the code you submit at the end of each module and sign off your final project. You set the pace; they keep you unstuck.
How long does the course take?
A module takes about 30โ40 minutes, so the whole course is a few evenings of focused work. There are no pacing limits โ go through everything in one go or spread it out however you like. Access lasts 12 months.
I already have a SO-ARM100/101 โ can I just buy the course?
Yes. The mentored course works with any SO-ARM100 or SO-ARM101.
How do delivery and returns work?
The kit ships worldwide; delivery takes 3โ4 weeks. An unopened kit can be returned within 14 days of receipt for a full refund. Course access is refundable until you open the first module.
How can I pay?
International bank cards โ Visa, Mastercard and more. Payment happens on a secure payment page.
Get started
Put a real robot on the desk
Order the SO-ARM101 kit with the course included, or start with the mentored course if you already own an arm.
Prefer email? hello@robonine.com