Elephant Robotics myCobot 280 price & specs

Elephant Robotics (China) myCobot 280 (1)

$499 – $809

AvailablePython from a laptop6-axis desktop armUnder 1 kgPython / ROSMany controller variants

Possibly ≤ 1 weekShipping: US warehouse, 2–5 days to process.

Remote control: The pymycobot Python library drives the M5Stack/Arduino versions directly over USB serial, and the Pi/Jetson versions over a TCP socket server running on the arm.

LEARN MORE (Official store) ↗

Overview

The best-selling tiny 6-axis arm, and Elephant says more than 50,000 myCobot 280 units have shipped to over 70 countries. It is a servo arm with toy-scale payload and precision, but the Python API, ROS/MoveIt support and many accessories make it a popular first manipulator for classrooms and hobby AI projects. The same body is sold with several different built-in controllers, so the version matters when buying.

Type: Robot arm · Desktop & hobby arms
Maker: Elephant Robotics (China)
Released: 2020
Price: $499 – $809
Status: Available
Best for: Ages 14+
Programming: Full SDK

Price and shipping

Elephant Robotics Americas store prices, October 2026. Arduino $499, M5Stack $649, Raspberry Pi $759, Jetson Nano $809. The global store lists Arduino $599, M5Stack $649, Pi $799, Jetson Nano $849 and RDK X5 $830. Grippers start at $129.99. Launched in late 2020 at $649 list ($549 sale).

Shipping: US warehouse, 2–5 days to process. US orders from the Elephant Robotics Americas store ship from a US warehouse after 2–5 business days of processing. The policy allows up to about 15 business days for delivery (October 2026). Elephant Americas store ↗

Specifications

Category	Robot arms · Desktop & hobby arms
Released	2020
Country	China
Availability	Available
Sales	Over 50,000 sold in 70+ countries by December 2025 Elephant Robotics ↗
Programmability	Full SDK
Built-in autonomy	Task-level · Carries out multi-step jobs on its own, such as inspections, deliveries or chores
LLM support	Official LLM tools · Elephant Robotics publishes ChatGPT/LLM control projects, and the RDK X5 version ships with preloaded LLM and vision example cases. Elephant Robotics on Hackster (myCobot RDK X5 LLM) ↗
MuJoCo simulation	Official model · Maker's mycobot_mujoco repo has an MJCF for the 280 Jetson Nano version. mycobot_mujoco ↗
NVIDIA Isaac simulation	Maker URDF only · Maker's ROS packages include URDFs, nothing packaged for Isaac. mycobot_ros2 ↗
Gazebo simulation	Official model · Maker's mycobot_ros includes a 280 M5 Gazebo package. mycobot_ros mycobot_280 ↗
Best for	Ages 14+ (estimated)
Vision sensors	Camera
Actuators	Smart servos (Dynamixel, Feetech…)
Audio	No audio
Compute type	Arduino / ESP32 / microcontroller, Raspberry Pi, NVIDIA Jetson, Other ARM chip
Remote control	Python from a laptop
DOF	6
Reach	280 mm
Payload	250 g
Repeatability	±0.5 mm
Weight	~800–860 g (by version)
Controller	Varies by version: M5Stack Basic (ESP32) + Atom, Raspberry Pi 4B, Jetson Nano, Arduino, or RDK X5
Sensors	Servo position feedback, 5×5 LED matrix on the end joint, optional camera flange and AI vision kit
SDK	pymycobot (Python), ROS 1/ROS 2 + MoveIt, C++, C#, Arduino, myBlockly, gamepad and app control

Common questions

How much does myCobot 280 cost?

myCobot 280 is listed at $499 – $809. Elephant Robotics Americas store prices, October 2026. Arduino $499, M5Stack $649, Raspberry Pi $759, Jetson Nano $809. The global store lists Arduino $599, M5Stack $649, Pi $799, Jetson Nano $849 and RDK X5 $830. Grippers start at $129.99. Launched in late 2020 at $649 list ($549 sale).

Can myCobot 280 be bought today?

Yes, it is on sale. US orders from the Elephant Robotics Americas store ship from a US warehouse after 2–5 business days of processing. The policy allows up to about 15 business days for delivery (October 2026).

Who makes myCobot 280?

myCobot 280 is made by Elephant Robotics (China). It came out in 2020.

Can myCobot 280 be programmed?

Full SDK. pymycobot (Python), ROS 1/ROS 2 + MoveIt, C++, C#, Arduino, myBlockly, gamepad and app control.

Does myCobot 280 have AI chat or LLM support?

Official LLM tools. Elephant Robotics publishes ChatGPT/LLM control projects, and the RDK X5 version ships with preloaded LLM and vision example cases.