Hugging Face's Pollen Robotics launches Microduck, a $399 open-source bipedal robot

Pollen Robotics, the robotics arm of Hugging Face, has launched its second consumer robot: the Microduck, a one-eyed bipedal machine that stands just under ten inches tall. According to The Verge, the device is available to preorder now for $399, and the company says it plans to start shipping before Christmas 2026.

A small robot with a range of tricks

Demonstration footage released alongside the launch shows the Microduck picking up small items such as socks and markers, nudging a ball around, and gliding across the floor on a set of miniature wheeled skates. The Verge reports that the robot can also respond to what is happening around it, chase the dot of a laser pointer, or be driven manually with a game controller.

Sound is part of the package as well. Pollen Robotics says the Microduck expresses itself through small creature-like noises rather than the voice of a conventional assistant, and that every unit is assigned a unique sound profile the first time it wakes up. That profile is tied to the individual robot, so it keeps the same voice for its entire life — and the robot can sing, too.

Open software on compact hardware

The Microduck's software is open-source, continuing the approach Pollen Robotics took with its earlier Reachy Mini. Owners are not limited to the behaviors the robot ships with: the company says users can retrain it to perform new tricks, which positions the device as a programmable platform rather than a sealed consumer gadget.

Under the hood, the robot runs on a Rockchip RK3566 processor and carries a camera, motion sensors and LiDAR. Its legs, head and neck are all articulated, supporting the walking, kicking and skating behaviors shown in the launch demos.

Pricing and availability

Preorders are open now at $399, with four color options: cream, graphite, lavender and sky blue. Pollen Robotics says it aims to begin shipping before Christmas 2026, though as with any preorder timeline that date is a target rather than a guarantee.

Why it matters

Hugging Face built its reputation on open-source machine learning tooling and model sharing, and the Microduck extends that philosophy into physical consumer hardware. A $399 robot with open, retrainable software is a low barrier to entry compared with most hobbyist or research robotics platforms, and it hands developers and tinkerers a full body — camera, sensors, LiDAR and articulated limbs — to experiment on rather than just a model running in the cloud.

The launch also continues a deliberate pattern: the Reachy Mini came first, and the Microduck pushes the formula further with new capabilities and a friendlier design. If the shipping target holds, the company will have a small, hackable robot in consumers' hands during the holiday season, along with a growing installed base of individually voiced machines that an open-source community can teach new behaviors after unboxing.