Somewhere, at this very moment, rubber ducks are driving tiny cars in their own tiny towns. It's called Duckietown, and it's helping people understand autonomous driving.

Duckietown is a foundation created at MIT looking to advance AI driving while teaching it to those want to learn about robotics and autonomy. The Duckietown platform consists of two parts. The first is the Duckiebots, affordable mini cars built from common parts with a front-facing camera. For some zest, a small rubber duck is attached in the "drivers" seat. The second is Duckietown itself. These are miniature roadways built from exercise mats and tape. The Duckiebots will navigate these towns using the tapes as the road designations.



Duckietown is making its way around the world, having established classes in the Americas, Europe, and across Asia. The open-source project is available to academics, AI researchers, and teachers all over to have their own Duckietown. The starter kit costs a somewhat large $400 at the moment. Robotics arent lincoln logs, after all.

Interested individuals can read more about the project on their official website.