Hugging Face Is Making A Big Robotics Push

Nvidia is paying a steep price for Hugging Face, a repository of open source models, primarily for its strategic position in the center of the open source AI world. But it turns out Nvidia is also getting a budding robot business that could help CEO Jensen Huang fulfill the promise of “physical AI.” 

Hugging Face late last month launched Microduck, a small robot that can walk around and learn skills like roller skating or pointing lasers at walls for cats to chase. The company has already sold more than 15,000 ducks, generating over $6 million in sales, despite limited advertising on X and LinkedIn, Hugging Face co-founder Thomas Wolf told me. 

The new robot is part of Hugging Face’s push to sell affordable robots built on open source AI for consumers and developers. That shaped its strategy with its April 2025 acquisition of Pollen Robotics, which previously focused on pricier humanoid robots but shifted to making more affordable, accessible robots after the deal, Wolf explained.