Models & Labs
Hugging Face Launches $399 Open Source Robot, Microduck
TechCrunch AIhigh confidence
Why it matters
- →The Microduck offers an affordable entry point for developers to experiment with physical AI and reinforcement learning.
- →Open-source design allows for greater transparency and customization, appealing to privacy-conscious users.
- →Hugging Face's move into hardware signifies a broader trend of democratizing AI technology beyond software.
Hugging Face has unveiled the Microduck, a $399 open-source robot that aims to make physical AI more accessible. The 25-centimeter-tall robot can perform various tasks, including picking up objects and roller skating, and is equipped with a camera, lidar sensors, and IMUs. Developers can train and deploy behaviors using the provided SDK and simulation tools available on GitHub. This launch follows Hugging Face's acquisition of Pollen Robotics and aligns with their strategy to offer affordable AI hardware.
Read originalThe story around this
Earlier coverage that leads up to this article, and what followed. Lines connect each piece to the closest one after it, converging here.
How we got here
- 1Deploy Models from HuggingFace with Ease
Together AI Blog · May 8, 2026 · Background
- 2Reachy Mini Enables Local Speech Processing
Hugging Face Blog · May 27, 2026 · Related
- 3Hugging Face and Cerebras Launch Real-Time Voice AI
Hugging Face Blog · July 1, 2026 · Related
- 4NVIDIA and Hugging Face Enhance Robotics with New Models
NVIDIA Blog · July 7, 2026 · Related
- 5Hugging Face CEO Discusses Open Source AI Shift
TechCrunch AI · July 10, 2026 · Related
- 6Hugging Face CEO Advocates for Open Source AI
TechCrunch AI · July 10, 2026 · Related
- 7Hugging Face Hacked by Autonomous AI Agent
Lev Selector · July 24, 2026 · Background
- 8Hugging Face Seeks $13 Billion Exit
The AI Daily Brief · August 26, 2026 · Background
What happened next
- 9Nvidia Acquires Hugging Face for $12.9 Billion
Matt Wolfe · August 28, 2026 · Background
- 10NVIDIA to Acquire Hugging Face for $12.93B
AI News · September 3, 2026 · Background
- 11Nvidia Acquires Hugging Face for $13 Billion
Lev Selector · September 11, 2026 · Background
- 12Flourish 1: $3,500 AI Robot Learns by Watching
Matt Wolfe · October 14, 2026 · Background
Follow this story
Open the full story →Hugging Face unveils Microduck robot
2 developments
- Aug 27 · The Verge AI
Hugging Face unveils Microduck robot - Aug 27 · TechCrunch AI
Hugging Face Launches $399 Open Source Robot, Microduck (This article)
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