Hugging Face says its roller-skating robot duck scored $2.6 million in orders in 24 hours

The duck, which uses cameras, LiDAR scanner, and 15 motors, is accepting preorders at $399. Hugging Face, Pollen Robotics Hugging Face appears to have gotten its ducks in a row. Cofounder Thomas Wolf said shoppers are flocking to buy the nearly 10-inch, programmable Microduck. It's the latest attempt by a tech company to develop a consumer-friendly robotics product. Apparently, a lot of people want a nearly 10-inch-tall robot duck. On Friday, Hugging Face cofounder Thomas Wolf wrote in a post on X that customers placed more than $2.6 million worth of orders for Microduck during its first 24 hours on sale. The update came after Wolf said on Thursday, roughly six hours after the product was announced, that preorders had already topped $1 million. we've ended at over $2.6M of Microducks ordered in the first 24h https://t.co/HzsGKVlKN1 — Thomas Wolf (@Thom_Wolf) August 28, 2026 The $399 Microduck was unveiled Thursday by Pollen Robotics, the French robotics company Hugging Face acquired last year. The companies didn't immediately respond to requests for more information about the orders. It's part of a broader effort to bring AI out of chatbots and into consumer-focused machines that can do more than vacuum floors. AI-powered robots have so far largely been confined to research labs and factory floors. Now, companies including Tesla and 1X are plotting how robots could make the leap into consumers' homes, while Hyundai floats the idea of selling robots through its car dealerships. Microduck is Pollen's second consumer robot, following the square-headed Reachy Mini, an assembly-required desktop robot that users can program to hold AI-powered conversations or wiggle its antennas. Both products are aimed at developers and robotics enthusiasts. Hugging Face says Microduck is similarly programmable — but unlike its desktop-dwelling predecessor, it can waddle around. The ducklike bot can sit, kick, rollerskate, and pick up small objects with its plastic mandible. Its two-legged, one-eyed body contains a camera, lidar, and two motion sensors. On Friday, Clément Delangue, CEO of Hugging Face, posted a video of the little bot doing some gymnastics. someone trained microduck to do somersaults 😭 pic.twitter.com/evDlBaxhsb — clem 🤗 (@ClementDelangue) August 28, 2026 The first deliveries are targeted for before Christmas. A pair of roller skates comes in a separate $39 accessory pack. The duck runs for around an hour on a removable, rechargeable battery, depending on how it's used. Microduck's reportedly successful debut comes at a consequential moment for its parent company. A day before the robot was unveiled, Business Insider reported that chipmaker Nvidia was in talks to acquire Hugging Face in a deal that could value the AI startup at more than $13 billion. Read the original article on Business Insider

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