Hugging Face Unveils a $399 Robot Duck You Can Teach

What this tiny robot can do

Microduck has 15 motors and an opening beak. It can walk, crouch, pick up small objects, get back up after a fall, and move on small roller skates.

A front camera helps it see. A small depth sensor measures what is nearby, while two motion sensors track how its body moves. A game controller is included, so the robot is ready to play out of the box.

You can teach it new moves

Microduck learns in a computer simulation by trying a move many times and getting a reward when it improves. This is called reinforcement learning.

Builders can train a move on their own computer or with Hugging Face, then send it to the real robot. The software, simulator, and training tools are open source, so people can read, change, and share what they make.

Microduck comes in cream, graphite, lavender, and sky blue. For $399, it puts robot learning on a desk, where a builder can hold it, change it, and teach it one small move at a time.