Hugging Face has introduced Microduck, a 9.8-inch open-source robot duck developed by French robotics firm Pollen Robotics, which the company acquired in 2025. Priced at $399, the bipedal robot can waddle, sit, kick balls, grasp objects with its beak, and recover from falls. Optional wheels enable roller-skating capabilities. Preorders are now available with deliveries expected before Christmas 2026 across North America, Europe, and the UK.
The robot arrives ready to use with seven pre-programmed movements and a game controller, requiring no coding knowledge to operate. It can follow laser pointers, respond to environmental stimuli, and activate behaviors via NFC tags. Four color options—Cream, Graphite, Lavender, and Sky—are offered at launch. Beyond basic functionality, Microduck serves as a platform for reinforcement learning, enabling developers to train new behaviors through artificial intelligence.
Microduck’s internal systems include 15 motors, a front-facing camera, LiDAR, microphone and speaker, along with 1GB RAM and 32GB storage. The software development kit, simulation environment, and learning tools are available open-source on GitHub, allowing developers to modify and share their work. However, only the software remains open-source; mechanical and electronic designs are proprietary. The robot maintains a unique voice generated upon first activation and delivers approximately one hour of battery life per charge.
This launch represents Hugging Face’s continued expansion into accessible physical AI platforms, following previous releases including the SO-101 robotic arm, HopeJR humanoid, and Reachy Mini desktop robot. Company leadership envisions an emerging era of affordable open-source robotics, with potential applications ranging from educational experiments to multi-robot collaborative activities.
Originally reported by Mashable →
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