Hugging Face launches Microduck, a $399 open-source duck robot for AI development

Hugging Face and its subsidiary Pollen Robotics have launched Microduck, a 10-inch-tall, bipedal, duck-shaped robot priced at $399. Designed as an affordable, open-source platform for AI developers, the robot runs on an open software stack and can be trained in simulation using reinforcement learning. The launch represents Hugging Face's continued expansion into physical AI hardware, occurring alongside unconfirmed reports of a $13 billion acquisition of the company by Nvidia.

Microduck robot specifications

• ▪Hugging Face and its subsidiary Pollen Robotics launched Microduck, a 10-inch-tall, bipedal, duck-shaped robot priced at $399, with preorders opening on August 27, 2026.
• ▪The Microduck robot features an articulated beak that doubles as a gripper capable of lifting objects weighing up to 100 grams, according to Pollen Robotics representative Santiago Pavon.
• ▪The Microduck robot is equipped with a Rockchip RK3566 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB of onboard storage, a camera, motion sensors, LiDAR, and a 50 Hz onboard policy loop.
• ▪The Microduck robot weighs approximately 800 grams, stands 25 centimeters tall, and is scheduled to begin shipping to customers before Christmas 2026.

Open-source software platform

• ▪Pollen Robotics has made the Microduck software development kit, physics simulation, and full reinforcement learning training stack publicly available on GitHub.
• ▪The Microduck robot runs on an open-source software stack, allowing developers to study, modify, and retrain the robot's behaviors, though its physical hardware is not open source.
• ▪Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue stated that open-source models provide better privacy auditability and control for users compared to closed-source black-box systems.

Reinforcement learning training

• ▪Pollen Robotics representative Santiago Pavon stated that the company expects the developer community to contribute toward achieving autonomous behaviors like voice recognition, mapping, and navigation.
• ▪Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue described the Microduck as the first affordable AI robot that users can teach via reinforcement learning, designed to be "made to move, ready to fall."
• ▪The Microduck robot is designed to be trained in an open-source physics simulator using reinforcement learning, allowing developers to transfer newly trained skills directly to the physical robot.

Hugging Face robotics expansion

• ▪The launch of the Microduck occurs amid unconfirmed reports that Nvidia has agreed to acquire Hugging Face for approximately $13 billion.
• ▪Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue stated that he aims for the Microduck to sell 50,000 units, which would generate approximately $20 million in revenue.
• ▪Prior to launching the Microduck, Hugging Face and Pollen Robotics released the Reachy Mini desktop robot, which is currently sold in a $499 standard version and a $399 Lite version.
• ▪Hugging Face acquired the Bordeaux, France-based startup Pollen Robotics in April 2025 to expand its focus from software tools into affordable, open-source AI hardware.

Affordable AI hardware development

• ▪The $399 Microduck represents an effort to lower financial barriers to physical AI development, offering an affordable hardware platform for testing machine learning models in real-world environments.
• ▪Hugging Face designed the Microduck to provide a friendly, approachable alternative in a robotics field currently dominated by military-style attack dogs and complex humanoids.