{"slug": "meet-microduck-a-399-open-source-robot-that-can-learn-new-tricks", "title": "Meet Microduck, a $399 Open-Source Robot That Can Learn New Tricks", "summary": "Hugging Face's Pollen Robotics arm unveiled Microduck, a $399 open-source biped robot that can walk, grab objects, and learn new tricks via reinforcement learning, with preorders open and first deliveries targeted before Christmas 2026. The 1.8-pound, 9.8-inch-tall robot features 15 motors, a camera, LiDAR, and a beak for picking up objects, and its open-source software stack covers control, simulation, and sim-to-real deployment. The launch follows reports that Nvidia is acquiring Hugging Face for an estimated $12.9 billion.", "body_md": "A new budget-friendly robot arriving later this year will let owners program it with new tricks.\n\nThe $399 biped robot [comes from Hugging Face](https://x.com/ClementDelangue/status/2092931447644442635), a company best known for hosting open-source and open-weight AI models. Hugging Face’s Pollen Robotics arm developed the [Microduck](https://pollen-robotics.com/microduck/), which weighs 1.8 pounds and stands 9.8 inches tall. The bot contains 15 motors, a microphone and speaker, a camera, LiDAR, and two motion sensors, along with a beak for picking up objects.\n\nThe bot moves by waddling. A [video](https://x.com/pollenrobotics/status/2092915032052879425) shows the Microduck can walk, get up on its own, grab objects like your clothes, kick a ball, and even roller skate if you buy the attachable skates. Importantly, Microduck comes with seven pre-built capabilities out of the box, making it easy for consumers to use. The robot can also be controlled with the included game controller.\n\nMicroduck can also “follow a laser dot, trigger movements, or let it react to its surroundings. The point is to make the first interaction immediate, even if you never write code,” Hugging Face wrote in a [blog post](https://pollen-robotics.com/microduck/blog/introducing-microduck/).\n\nBut the bot’s real selling point is its programmability. “The same robot becomes a complete development platform,” Hugging Face explains. “Its open-source software stack covers robot control, simulation, reinforcement learning, and sim-to-real deployment.\"\n\nThe software is available today: the [main Microduck repository](https://github.com/pollen-robotics/microduck) contains the SDK and robot software, while [Microduck RL](https://github.com/pollen-robotics/microduck_rl) contains the [reinforcement learning](https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/rlhf) and sim-to-real tools, Hugging Face says.\n\nAs a result, Microduck should be able to learn new tricks through trial and error. Software developers also use the bot to \"test how AI moves from simulation into the real world,\" the company adds.\n\nHugging Face plans on sharing more about the software development aspect, but for now, the company says, “The important point is that the behaviors shipping with Microduck are not meant to define what the robot can do forever. They are a starting point.”\n\nFor memory, the Microduck features 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The bot also supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and comes with two NFC antennas. On the downside, Microduck’s battery life is estimated at about 1 hour with the 2,600mAh battery.\n\n[Preorders](https://store.pollen-robotics.com/products/microduck) for the Microduck are already open. “First deliveries targeted before Christmas 2026,” the site says. The product is currently only available in the US and Europe.\n\nThe launch comes after reports that [Nvidia is acquiring Hugging Face](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/nvidia-agrees-buy-open-source-model-repository-hugging-face-12-9-billion) for an estimated $12.9 billion. Last month, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella released a [public letter championing open-weight AI models](/ai/166349/in-face-of-us-crackdown-microsoft-nvidia-ceos-back-open-weight-ai-models). “The world needs both frontier closed models and frontier open models,” Huang [wrote](https://x.com/JensenHuang/status/2080643682408321103) in his first post on X.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meet-microduck-a-399-open-source-robot-that-can-learn-new-tricks", "canonical_source": "https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/166941/meet-microduck-a-399-open-source-robot-that-can-learn-new-tricks", "published_at": "2026-08-27 14:42:27+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-27 15:19:49.724113+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["robotics", "ai-products"], "entities": ["Hugging Face", "Pollen Robotics", "Microduck", "Nvidia", "Jensen Huang", "Microsoft", "Satya Nadella"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meet-microduck-a-399-open-source-robot-that-can-learn-new-tricks", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meet-microduck-a-399-open-source-robot-that-can-learn-new-tricks.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meet-microduck-a-399-open-source-robot-that-can-learn-new-tricks.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meet-microduck-a-399-open-source-robot-that-can-learn-new-tricks.jsonld"}}