2026-09-02 14:00

Introduction: Microduck Sales Surge Past $5M Driven by Rockchip Edge AI Chip. Hugging Face’s French Subsidiary Launches Open-Source Robot at $399

Hugging Face’s French subsidiary, Pollen Robotics, has launched the open-source robot Microduck priced at $399, selling over 10,000 units since launch, with sales surpassing $5 million and delivery timelines extended to after Christmas 2026. Microduck is powered by Rockchip’s RK3566 chip, which leverages ARM architecture licensed from the UK. The positive momentum has triggered consecutive stock gains for Rockchip Electronics, a Shanghai-listed company, amid heightened market attention.

According to a recent CNBC report, the Microduck robot, launched last Thursday by Pollen Robotics under Hugging Face, has already sold over 10,000 units, generating sales exceeding $5 million by Tuesday evening. Strong demand has pushed new order delivery dates beyond Christmas 2026.

The surge in Microduck sales has driven strong investor interest, propelling Rockchip Electronics’ stock higher on Monday and Tuesday. The stock has gained approximately 15% over the past five days, though it saw a minor pullback today.

One Duck, One Chinese Chip: A Market Sensation

Each Microduck unit retails for $399, weighs about 800 grams, stands 25 cm tall, and features built-in cameras, microphones, speakers, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LiDAR sensors.

Its core computing unit is powered by Rockchip’s RK3566 chip. Pollen Robotics stated that Rockchip was selected due to its “on-board 1 TOPS NPU”—a neural processing unit capable of one trillion operations per second.

Omdia’s lead analyst Lian Jye Su identifies Rockchip as a “key supplier” in edge AI, noting that its chips are widely deployed in machine vision applications involving object detection and image recognition.

However, Lian Jye Su also highlighted limitations: “While Rockchip’s chips have broad coverage, their lack of sufficient compute resources means they are not designed for complex edge AI devices.”

The RK3566 chip also incorporates ARM technology licensed from UK-based semiconductor firm ARM.

Microduck: Open-Source & Trainable, Not Just a “Toy Duck”

The standout feature of Microduck is not its ability to roller-skate or pick up socks, but rather the user’s capacity to “teach” it new behaviors.

As previously reported by BlockBeats, Microduck supports reinforcement learning—allowing the robot to progressively learn new physical skills through trial and error, rather than relying on pre-programmed instructions. Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue described it as “the first affordable AI robot capable of being taught new skills via reinforcement learning.”

He further emphasized the design philosophy: “We intentionally built Microduck to be motion-oriented—and ready to fall.” He added, “We also hope these robots will teach users that robots can fail, make mistakes, and that you must account for this in your design process.”

Microduck lacks traditional arms; instead, it uses an articulated “duck bill” for grasping, capable of lifting objects up to 800 grams, and can autonomously re-stand after being toppled.

Orders Skyrocket, Delivery Now Critical

Hugging Face co-founder and Chief Scientist Thomas Wolf posted on social media that users have begun monitoring Microduck’s supply chain, underscoring the overwhelming order volume the company is experiencing.

After opening pre-orders, Microduck sold at a pace of one unit every four seconds at peak. Hugging Face aims to sell more than 20,000 units, with initial shipments planned before Christmas—but current orders now face delivery delays.

Microduck is manufactured in China, with production support from Shenzhen-based open-hardware manufacturer Seeed Studio.

Hugging Face Doubles Down on Physical AI, Nvidia Acquisition Rumors Remain Unconfirmed

Microduck is Hugging Face’s second robotics product. Previously, Hugging Face partnered with Pollen Robotics to launch Reachy Mini, which also sold over 10,000 units in its first batch, followed by Hugging Face’s acquisition of Pollen Robotics.

Just prior to Microduck’s launch, The Information reported that Nvidia had agreed to acquire Hugging Face for approximately $12.9 billion. Both companies have declined to comment.

Meanwhile, similar products are emerging in the market: startup Zeroth unveiled a humanoid robot for children priced at ¥8,888; Mondo Robotics’ Wall-E-style camera robot has raised over 80 times its Kickstarter goal, with early-bird pricing starting at $549.

Source: BlockBeats