AIRA

3D-printable 7-DoF robotic arm with native LeRobot integration for ACT, Diffusion, PI0, and GR00T.

GitHub Open repository

0.2K stars 0.0K forks Apache-2.0 license 2026-06-04 verified

bash

$git clone https://github.com/robertorobotics/Nextis-AIRA-3D && cd Nextis-AIRA-3D && pip install -e .

Open sourceSelf-hosted

Overview

What is AIRA?

AIRA is a fully 3D-printable, 7-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF + 1-DoF gripper) robotic arm designed as a native LeRobot plugin. It plugs directly into the LeRobot ecosystem — ACT, Diffusion Policy, PI0, GR00T N1.5, and every other policy in the LeRobot framework work out of the box. With an interactive setup wizard, Damiao CAN bus motors, and MIT impedance control, AIRA is designed for makers, researchers, and educators who want an open, affordable platform for robot learning.

LeRobot-native plugin architecture

AIRA registers with LeRobot's plugin system — install via pip, and LeRobot discovers the robot and teleoperator automatically. Not a fork, so updates come from upstream LeRobot.

You get the latest LeRobot features and policies without maintaining a separate fork. Install, plug in, and train.

3D-printable and open hardware

The full frame is 3D-printable, with STEP files, STLs, and assembly guides available. Verified kit and CNC aluminum upgrade options also available.

Hardware cost has been the main barrier to entry in robotics research. 3D printing brings the cost down by an order of magnitude.

Damiao CAN bus motors with MIT impedance control

High-torque CAN bus motors (base joints at 20/35 Nm) with compliant impedance control for safe, smooth teleoperation and policy deployment.

CAN bus motors provide the torque and precision needed for real manipulation tasks, while impedance control ensures safe human-robot interaction.

Interactive setup wizard

The aira-setup wizard guides users through motor-by-motor configuration with no terminal expertise needed.

Setting up a robotic arm typically requires deep embedded systems knowledge. AIRA's wizard makes it accessible to ML researchers.

Install

One command to start

$ git clone https://github.com/robertorobotics/Nextis-AIRA-3D && cd Nextis-AIRA-3D && pip install -e .

Use cases

What teams use it for

Affordable robot learning platform for education

Print and assemble an AIRA arm in a university lab, install LeRobot, and have students go from teleoperation to policy training in a single semester.

VLA policy prototyping before industrial deployment

Prototype manipulation policies on AIRA, validate with real-world data, then transfer to production hardware using the same LeRobot codebase.

Open-source teleoperation data collection

Use AIRA's leader-follower setup with MIT impedance control to collect high-quality demonstration data for training imitation learning policies.

Ecosystem

Tags & capabilities

botopen sourceroboticsopen sourceself hosted

Comparison

How it stacks up

Choose AIRA for open, affordable LeRobot-native hardware

vs SO-100 / SO-101 arms

SO-100 arms are cheaper but have fewer degrees of freedom. AIRA's 7-DoF, CAN bus motors, and LeRobot plugin architecture make it more capable and easier to integrate.

FAQ

Questions

Do I need a 3D printer to build AIRA?

No. You can print the frame yourself, order a verified kit, or upgrade to CNC aluminum. All options are documented.

What policies can I run on AIRA?

Any LeRobot-compatible policy: ACT, Diffusion, VQ-BeT, PI0, PI0.5, GR00T N1.5, SmolVLA, XVLA, and more. No code changes needed.

Does AIRA support bimanual (dual-arm) setups?

The current release focuses on single-arm setup. Bimanual support may be added in future releases based on community interest.