Goal-based/Specialty Robots/4 robots compared/Reviewed Oct 15, 2026
Microduck, Neakasa M1 Plus, Miko 3, EMO: what’s each for?
View recordHugging Face (built with Pollen Robotics)IIHugging Face MicroduckBase price at launch$399$399
Full specifications10 measurements · 32 of 40 documented
The investigation
5 questions this comparison examines
What task is each robot actually built to do?
All four share a product category and an autonomy level, but the physical task each one performs is not the same, from training a biped to cleaning litter.
Hugging Face Microduck
Neakasa M1 Plus
Miko 3
EMOManufacturer documentation describes the M1 Plus as a fixed litter-box unit with no roaming or navigation system, unlike the other three robots in this set.
Pollen Robotics' own design materials describe the Microduck's software stack as open-source and retrainable, while the mechanical hardware remains proprietary to the company.
How does each one handle voice and camera data?
Voice assistants and cameras raise different privacy questions depending on where recordings go, whether they are stored, and what the manufacturer discloses in its documentation.
Hugging Face MicroduckNeakasa M1 PlusMiko 3EMOMiko's published privacy policy states conversational audio is deleted after transcription, but face and voice biometric data is retained for up to three years from last use.
Living.AI's documentation states camera photos remain stored on the device by default and are only sent to the companion app if a user chooses to share them.
What does each one cost today, and what's included?
Sticker price is only part of the picture; some of these robots add optional packs or a content subscription that changes what a buyer gets for the base price.
Hugging Face MicroduckNeakasa M1 PlusMiko 3EMOA documented hands-on review found most of Miko 3's games, stories and coding activities locked behind the Miko Max subscription, which the review priced between $99 and $180 a year.
Pollen Robotics lists the Microduck's $399 box as including one robot, one battery, a USB-C cable and a game controller, with accessory and developer packs sold separately.
How much independent evidence exists for each robot?
Hugging Face Microduck is weeks old; the other three have been sold for years, and only one of the four has a documented independent hands-on review.
Hugging Face MicroduckNeakasa M1 PlusMiko 3EMOPollen Robotics opened pre-orders for the Microduck on August 27, 2026, with first deliveries targeted before the end of the year, too recent for ownership or failure reports to exist.
A documented hands-on review of Miko 3, conducted in March 2025, found no obstacle avoidance while the robot was moving, though it survived several falls undamaged.
What does Level II autonomy look like on each machine?
Level II autonomy covers very different behavior across these four, from a robot that waits for a trained policy to one that triggers its own cleaning cycle.
Hugging Face MicroduckNeakasa M1 PlusMiko 3EMOLiving.AI's documentation describes EMO navigating back to its Home Station to recharge on its own, the only one of these four that docks itself.
The Neakasa M1 Plus runs on mains power and pauses its cleaning cycle if its infrared sensor array detects a cat re-entering the bin.
In closing
What the evidence shows
Patterns that emerged across the questions above.
Each robot automates a different kind of task
One trains machine-learning policies, one automates a chore, one teaches through guided play, and one explores a desk; none is a substitute for the others.
Ongoing cost falls on different owners
Miko 3's content library sits mostly behind an annual subscription, while the Microduck, Neakasa M1 Plus and EMO carry no subscription requirement documented in their records.
Evidence depth tracks time on the market
Miko 3 carries years of use and a documented independent review. EMO and the Neakasa M1 Plus have years on the market too, but no independent review is cited in either record. The Microduck has pre-order sales figures but no comparable ownership record yet.
Common questions