Pollen Robotics Introduces Microduck, a 25 cm Reinforcement Learning Biped Robot

Pollen Robotics has published the open-source repository and documentation for Microduck, a tiny biped robot standing approximately 25 cm tall and weighing about 800 grams. According to the project materials, the biped moves using reinforcement learning policies and features a customized hardware and software stack.

Microduck is reported to run on a Rockchip RK3566 processor, utilizing a 50 Hz control loop to drive fifteen servos from neural policies alongside radios and a camera. The system manages software updates through an update mechanism designed to prevent bricking.

Technical Architecture and Software Stack

The repository outlines a Rust-based software architecture without heavy frameworks, utilizing a single workspace containing several background daemons communicating over a JSON-RPC contract on Unix sockets:

• robotd: Manages the control loop and motor bus.
• updaterd: Handles signed releases and rollback capabilities if a robot becomes unhealthy.
• configd: Manages Wi-Fi and identity settings.
• btd: Provides the Bluetooth interface for phone connectivity.
• padd: Reads gamepad inputs.
• mediad: Streams camera feeds over WebRTC.
• tofd: Serves the depth sensor data.

Training and Capabilities

The reinforcement learning policies are trained separately using MuJoCo and Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO), employing a sim2real approach and exporting models to ONNX for the repository to load. Reported physical behaviors include sitting, kicking a ball, rolling forward on command, and producing a distinct synthesized vocalization.

Practical Implications and Verification

Developers and robotics enthusiasts interested in exploring the project can review the design documents located in the repository's documentation directories, which outline design choices and project tracking details. To verify specifications, licensing, and hardware requirements, interested parties should consult the official GitHub repository maintained by Pollen Robotics.