Reachy Mini is an open-source desktop robot designed for the development of embodied AI, enabling researchers, developers, and creators to explore natural human to robot interaction in the real world. For robots like Reachy Mini, hearing accurately is fundamental, and that starts with high-quality voice processing at the edge.
At the heart of Reachy Mini’s audio system is Seeed Studio’s reSpeaker module powered by the XMOS VocalFusion® XVF3800. The XVF3800 is a dedicated voice processor that transforms raw microphone data into robust, usable voice signals, even in noisy, real-world environments.
What the XVF3800 Does
The XMOS XVF3800 is a 4-microphone array voice processor designed to enable reliable far-field voice capture and speech interaction. In Reachy Mini, it allows the robot to hear, localise, and respond to spoken commands with clarity and low latency.
Key capabilities include:
- 360° far-field voice capture
Captures sound from all directions at distances of up to ~5 m. - Beamforming & Direction of Arrival (DoA)
Focuses on the active speaker and identifies where the sound is coming from — a key input for interactive robotics. - Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC)
Removes playback echoes so speech recognition remains accurate while the robot is speaking. - Noise Suppression & Automatic Gain Control (AGC)
Cleans up background noise and maintains consistent voice levels in dynamic environments. - Voice Activity Detection (VAD)
Detects when speech is present so the system knows when to listen and respond.
All processing happens on-device, reducing latency, improving responsiveness, and enabling reliable interaction without relying on cloud audio pre-processing.
Built for Real-World Robotics
Voice interaction in robotics is challenging. Environments are noisy, speakers move, and audio conditions constantly change. The XVF3800 is purpose-built to meet these challenges, delivering robust edge voice processing that scales from research platforms to deployed robotic systems.
By combining Reachy Mini’s open, embodied AI platform with the XMOS VocalFusion® XVF3800, developers gain a powerful foundation for building robots that don’t just see and move, but hear and interact naturally.
Reachy Mini is an open source robot built together with Hugging Face, Pollen Robotics, and Seeed Studio, Find out more about Reachy Mini here: hf.co/reachy-mini
