Hugging Face and Pollen Robotics have unveiled Microduck, a robot duck, and have already opened pre-orders. It looks like a fun toy, but it's actually a full-fledged platform for experimenting with artificial intelligence, reports infohub.kz.
Microduck's main purpose is not just to entertain its owner, but to allow them to train AI to interact with the real world. With the duck, you can experiment with its movements, navigation, obstacle avoidance, and teach it new actions.
Thanks to its open-source code, developers can modify the software and learning models themselves. Buyers get not just a toy, but a small physical 'training ground' for AI experiments.
Microduck is only 25 cm tall and weighs less than 800 grams. Inside, it has 15 motors that allow it to walk, squat, sit, get up after a fall, and even ride on small wheels.
However, out of the box, the toy can only follow a laser pointer and respond to remote control. Everything else requires manual configuration and training of the neural network.
Additionally, Microduck has a camera, a LiDAR sensor for spatial orientation, and two motion sensors. It also has a movable beak that can pick up small objects. Instead of speech, it emits sounds through a built-in microphone and speaker, and each robot can be customized with its own 'voice'.
On a single charge, Microduck operates for about an hour. It has 32 GB of storage, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Pre-orders are open, with the robot priced at $399 (about 185,000 tenge), and available in four colors: cream, graphite, lilac, and sky blue.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that the Chinese humanoid robot 'Lightning' ran the 100-meter dash in 9.32 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt's long-standing world record. The historic run took place at the World Robot Games in Beijing.