The shortest useful distinction
Pollen Robotics describes Reachy Mini as a platform for AI that interacts and Microduck as a platform for AI that acts. That is more useful than comparing them as if they were two sizes of the same product.
Reachy Mini is built around seeing, listening, speaking and expressive motion at a desk. Microduck is built around locomotion, falls, recovery and reinforcement-learning policies.
Side-by-side comparison
The comparison below uses launch-period official positioning and independent technical coverage. Reachy Mini prices and variant details can change, so this table avoids presenting a permanent current price.
| Question | Microduck | Reachy Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Physical form | 25 cm walking biped | Stationary desktop robot |
| Primary medium | Movement and learned actions | Voice, vision and expressive interaction |
| Development focus | RL, simulation and sim-to-real | Conversational and visual applications |
| Onboard compute | RK3566 confirmed | Depends on Lite or Wireless variant |
| Best first question | What behavior can I train? | What interaction can I build? |
Which one should you choose?
Microduck is the clearer fit for locomotion research, reinforcement-learning education and a small robot that physically travels through a space. Reachy Mini is the clearer fit for a desk companion, voice applications and expressive interaction.
- Pick Microduck for walking, balance, recovery and motion-policy experiments.
- Pick Reachy Mini for microphones, conversation, vision and expressive desktop behavior.
- Try the available simulators and read the current official store pages before buying either platform.
Plain answers
Frequently asked questions
Is Microduck a smaller Reachy Mini with legs?
No. They share a maker and philosophy, but Pollen positions them around different jobs: action versus interaction.
Which robot is better for reinforcement learning?
Microduck is the platform explicitly designed around movement policies, simulation and sim-to-real reinforcement learning.
Which robot is better for a voice assistant project?
Reachy Mini is the more interaction-focused platform, with voice and expressive desktop behavior at the centre of its design.
Evidence
Sources
Checked August 31, 2026
- officialMeet Microduck ↗
Official positioning of Microduck and Reachy Mini as action versus interaction platforms.
- independentReachy Mini technical overview ↗
Independent description of Reachy Mini variants and hardware focus.