Hugging Face Inc. on Thursday announced the launch of Microduck, a $399 bipedal robot designed to make physical AI and robotics more accessible to developers and the general public.
The robot, inspired by a duck, features a single eye and is capable of walking, picking up objects, recovering from falls, and roller-skating. Developers can program new behaviors using Python and JavaScript, while reinforcement learning and open-source software enable users to teach the robot new tricks and physical skills. Hugging Face CEO Clement Delangue described Microduck in a post on X as "a small open-source robot for $399 that you can teach new tricks with reinforcement learning."
Microduck is positioned as a tool for democratizing AI and robotics, targeting developers of all levels from beginners to advanced users. The company emphasized its accessibility and affordability as key selling points. The robot was developed in collaboration with Pollen Robotics, a Bordeaux-based firm acquired by Hugging Face in the prior year.
The product is scheduled to go on sale later in 2026, following its announcement on August 27. The launch comes amid reports from media outlets the day before that Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) was nearing a deal to acquire Hugging Face for approximately $13 billion, though no official confirmation has been provided.
