Imagine a small robotic duck walking around your home, reacting to its surroundings, and even picking up small objects with its beak. When it simulates sadness, it lowers its head and makes soft, melancholic sounds. When it expresses happiness, it produces higher-pitched, lively sounds accompanied by body movements. Its name is Microduck .

Standing just 25 centimeters tall and weighing less than 800 grams, it illustrates how advances in artificial intelligence and robotics are making increasingly sophisticated interactions between humans and machines possible.

One of its most curious features is its voice . Every Microduck has a unique sonic identity generated from its processor's serial number. As a result, no two units produce exactly the same sounds. It may seem like a minor detail, but it makes each robot recognizable, almost as if it had its own personality.…