A programmable personal robot developed by Hugging Face’s French subsidiary Pollen Robotics is powered by a chip from Shanghai-listed Rockchip, highlighting the interconnected nature of global technology supply chains.
The colourful “Microduck” robot has sold more than 10,000 units since its launch on Thursday, according to Hugging Face co-founder Clement Delangue. At a listed price of $399, that would represent more than $4 million in sales.
Strong demand has pushed delivery times for new orders beyond the company’s initial promise of Christmas 2026.
The 800-gram (1.76-pound) duck-shaped robot contains sensors, motors and on-device computing powered by Rockchip’s RK3566 processor. The chip incorporates technology licensed from British semiconductor company ARM, according to Rockchip.
Rockchip is a “key vendor” for AI that operates on devices rather than in the cloud, said Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at Omdia. Its chips are commonly used in machine vision applications including object detection and image recognition, he said.
“While it has massive footprint, the company chips are not designed for complex edge AI devices as they lack the compute resources,” Su said.
On-device computing can allow smartphones, robots and other electronics to run generative AI applications while keeping data on the device rather than sending it over the internet.
Rockchip reported last month that operating revenue rose 40% year-on-year in the first half of the year to 2.88 billion yuan ($428 million). Net profit excluding one-time items increased by more than 60%.
Microduck is designed both as an interactive consumer toy and as a development platform. Its open-source software allows it to learn through virtual simulations and goal-driven instructions, according to its developers.
The robot is the second product from France-based Pollen Robotics, which Hugging Face acquired last year. The first robot developed by the two companies, launched last spring, also sold more than 10,000 units, Pollen Robotics said.
The Microduck launch comes as Hugging Face faces speculation over a potential acquisition by Nvidia. The Information reported last week that Nvidia had agreed to buy Hugging Face for $12.9 billion. Neither company responded to a request for comment.
Hugging Face co-founder Thomas Wolf said in a social media post on Monday that people were beginning to monitor the Microduck supply chain as the company experienced a surge in orders.
Other companies are also developing personal robots aimed at consumers.
Startup Zeroth launched a child-sized humanoid robot this summer for 8,888 yuan. The robot claims to offer similar virtual simulation learning capabilities and has 247 pre-orders listed on JD.com in China. The company plans to unveil its open-source robotics system on Wednesday.
Mondo Robotics, meanwhile, has raised more than 80 times its initial $50,000 Kickstarter goal for a Wall-E-style cameraman robot ahead of a Sept. 6 deadline. Early-bird prices start at $549, with shipments scheduled to begin in October.
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Faustine Ngila is the AI Editor at Impact Newswire, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an award-winning journalist specializing in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and emerging technologies.
He previously worked as a global technology reporter at Quartz in New York and Digital Frontier in London, where he covered innovation, startups, and the global digital economy.
With years of experience reporting on cutting-edge technologies, Faustine focuses on AI developments, industry trends, and the impact of technology on society.
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