Introducing the HomeBrew Robotics Network (HBRN)

[Willie McClinton]

Hi everyone,

My name is Willie McClinton — I’m finishing my PhD in AI & Robotics at MIT, and for the past year I’ve been deeply inspired by the history of the HomeBrew Computer Club and the HomeBrew Robotics Club. HBRC is one of the few places where the original HomeBrew spirit is still alive: open sharing, DIY building, experimentation, and helping each other learn.

I’m reaching out because I recently started a new Discord chat and called it the HomeBrew Robotics Network (HBRN) — a lightweight community intended to connect people working on open, low-cost mobile manipulation and humanoid platforms across universities, labs, and hobbyist groups. Right now we have a few impressive members from the LeRobot (LeKiwi, Xle).and university (MIT, Stanford, UIUC) open-source robot community.

This isn’t meant to replace or compete with HBRC — in fact, it exists because HBRC set the example decades ago. My hope is to create a complementary space where students, researchers, and builders around the world can meet each other, share projects, and exchange ideas inspired by the HomeBrew ethos.

If anyone from HBRC is interested in joining or just checking the network out, here are the links:

🌐 Website: https://hbrnetwork.github.io

💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/jGWZzaQwqt

Happy to answer any questions, and thank you for keeping the HomeBrew tradition alive all these years — it’s genuinely inspiring and part of what motivated this effort.

Best wishes,
Willie McClinton