(Bloomberg) -- Artificial intelligence platform Hugging Face Inc. unveiled a singing $400 bipedal robot that can be taught tricks, the latest in the company's ongoing effort to make AI and robotics more approachable to the general public.The cute robot — aptly named Microduck — takes clear inspiration from its namesake bird, except that it has only one eye. It will go on sale later this year, Hugging Face said Thursday, making it the second robot from the company.
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Both beginner and more advanced developers will be able to teach new physical skills to the robot using reinforcement learning, simulation and open-source software, letting them code new behaviors through programming languages like Python and JavaScript. The robot was developed in part by Pollen Robotics, the Bordeaux, France-based company Hugging Face acquired last year.
The announcement comes a day after multiple media outlets reported that Nvidia Corp. is nearing a deal to buy Hugging Face for roughly $13 billion. Nvidia and Hugging Face didn't immediately respond to requests for comment by Bloomberg News.
Hugging Face is not alone in attempting to put a friendlier face on artificial intelligence. Companies large and small across the humanoid and AI sectors face growing scrutiny over ethical concerns, as well as the sometimes unsettling appearance of their robots. Fauna Robotics, for example, which was acquired by Amazon.com Inc. earlier this year, has opted for more consumer-focused designs.
The Microduck concept is reminiscent of the discontinued Lego Mindstorms series, and builds on existing platforms like Raspberry Pi, which has long allowed developers to program and tinker with hardware. The Microduck, however, also has built-in behavior that lets it interact with its surroundings without needing custom code: Users can, for example, walk it around or trigger movements using a laser pointer or a game controller."We want to show that AI is actually very accessible," Hugging Face co-founder and Chief Science Officer Thomas Wolf said in an interview. It needn't be expensive or scary, he said, but rather, "It's something anyone can build and do." The company, he said, wanted to "show a bit more positive, cute, vision of AI. A lot of the humanoid robots are not always as friendly looking and a bit dystopian, but they can also be very cute and a nice AI."