Hugging Face's new duck robot is selling fast. A Chinese chip powers it
· Technology · CNBC
Hugging Face's French subsidiary, Pollen Robotics, has sold over 10,000 units of its new Microduck robot since the product launched last Thursday. Priced at $399, the robot generated more than $4 million in revenue, leading to delivery delays that now extend beyond the initial Christmas 2026 target. The device is powered by the RK3566 chip from the Shanghai-listed company Rockchip, which utilizes technology licensed from the British firm ARM. While the robot functions as an interactive toy, it also serves as a development platform capable of learning from virtual simulations via open-source software. The Microduck is the second robot released by Pollen Robotics since its acquisition by Hugging Face last year.
Why it matters
The product's reliance on Chinese-manufactured chips for edge AI highlights the continued integration of global supply chains in consumer robotics. The rapid sales volume underscores strong market demand for programmable, on-device AI hardware.
Read the original report — CNBC
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