Open Source · Nvidia · TechCrunch AI
Hugging Face is selling a cute $399 open source duck robot, Microduck
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Hugging Face unveiled the Microduck on Thursday, a cute little duck-like robot that sells for $399, and ships before Christmas.
Key facts
- Today, they sell the $499 Reachy Mini, which is powered by a Raspberry Pi computer, and the $399 Reachy Mini Lite, powered by a Mac or PC
- Hugging Face unveiled the Microduck on Thursday, a cute little duck-like robot that sells for $399, and ships before Christmas
- The launch of the Microduck comes as Hugging Face is reportedly set to be acquired by Nvidia at a $13 billion valuation
- Nvidia and Hugging Face have been partners for years, with Nvidia providing the startup’s infrastructure since at least 2023
Summary
Clem Delangue, CEO of Hugging Face, said the Microduck is an “open-source robot you can teach new tricks with reinforcement learning.” The 25-centimeter-tall duck can waddle, pick things up with its beak (up to 800 grams), get back up when it falls, crouch, and even roller skate. “Welcome to the era of open-source affordable robots to democratize physical AI and world models!” Delangue said. Hugging Face is best known as a platform and community where developers go for open model weights. The new Microduck perceives the world with a camera, lidar sensors, and two IMUs (inertial measurement units that measure and report an object’s movement).