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Hugging Face's Microduck Robot Hits Sales Milestone Using Rockchip Semiconductor Tech
Electronic Technology · Semiconductors · cnbc · 2026-09-01
SPCX, NVDA, ARM
The new Microduck robot from Hugging Face's Pollen Robotics unit has sold over 10,000 units, highlighting a reliance on Chinese chipmaker Rockchip's hardware.
What Happened
Product Success and Demand: The Microduck robot, developed by Hugging Face's subsidiary Pollen Robotics, has seen significant commercial success with over 10,000 units sold since its launch. Priced at $399, the device has generated over $4 million in revenue, leading to shipping delays that extend beyond the initial holiday 2026 delivery window.
Supply Chain and Hardware: The robot utilizes the RK3566 chip from the Chinese firm Rockchip, which incorporates technology licensed from the British semiconductor company ARM. Industry analysts note that these chips are essential for edge-based AI tasks like object detection, though they are not intended for highly complex generative AI processing.
Financial and Strategic Context: Rockchip recently reported a 40% year-on-year increase in operating revenue for the first half of the year, reaching 2.88 billion yuan. Meanwhile, reports suggest that Nvidia may be in talks to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion, though neither company has officially confirmed the potential deal.
Competitive Robotics Landscape: The personal robotics market is seeing a surge in activity, with competitors like Zeroth and Mondo Robotics launching similar consumer-focused products. These companies are increasingly leveraging open-source software and virtual simulation learning to differentiate their offerings in a rapidly expanding sector.