Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 27
Hugging Face Unveils $399 Microduck Robot as Open-Source Push Expands Beyond Reachy Mini
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 27

Hugging Face Unveils $399 Microduck Robot as Open-Source Push Expands Beyond Reachy Mini

3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 27

Summary

  • $399 Microduck is Hugging Face’s latest robot—a 25-centimeter duck-like bot that ships before Christmas and is designed to learn new behaviors through reinforcement learning.
  • Camera, lidar and two IMUs let the robot perceive its surroundings, while its open-source SDK, simulator and full RL training stack are already available on GitHub for training in simulation and deployment on hardware.
  • Microduck can waddle, crouch, recover from falls, roller skate and lift up to 800 grams with its beak, extending a hardware lineup that already includes the $499 Reachy Mini and $399 Reachy Mini Lite.
  • The launch builds on Hugging Face’s April 2025 acquisition of Pollen Robotics and lands as the company is reportedly nearing an Nvidia deal at a $13 billion valuation.

Insights

With shipping nearing, will Microduck's unique lifelong voice foster deep human attachment or just be a fleeting novelty?
Could this affordable open-source robot secretly be Hugging Face's Trojan horse to dominate the global AI robotics ecosystem?
How secure is a fully trainable, camera-equipped robot roaming your house if its open-source brain gets hacked?