Home / Technology / Hugging Face Unveils Affordable Open-Source Robot
Hugging Face Unveils Affordable Open-Source Robot
27 Aug
Summary
- Microduck robot costs $399 and is available before Christmas.
- The robot can perform various actions like waddling and picking up objects.
- It uses cameras, lidar, and IMUs for environmental perception.
Hugging Face introduced the Microduck robot on Thursday, a new open-source creation priced at $399 with availability before Christmas. The 25-centimeter-tall robot is designed to be taught new behaviors using reinforcement learning. Its capabilities include waddling, carrying objects up to 800 grams, recovering from falls, and roller skating.
The company acquired Pollen Robotics in April 2025, aiming to democratize physical AI and world models with affordable hardware. The Microduck features a camera, lidar sensors, and two IMUs for environmental awareness. Its behaviors can be trained in simulation and deployed directly to the robot.
The full software development kit, simulation tools, and reinforcement learning training stack for the Microduck are accessible on GitHub. This move by Hugging Face comes amidst reports of a potential $13 billion acquisition by Nvidia, a long-time partner.
Concerns about privacy with robots equipped with cameras are addressed by the open-source nature of the Microduck, offering more transparency than closed-source systems. However, the security of user data depends on the applications developed on top of the model.
