Duckietown

Duckietown is an educational and research platform that makes robotics and artificial intelligence more accessible through hands-on learning about autonomous vehicles. Originating from an MIT learning experience, it serves teachers, students, independent learners, universities, schools, companies, and researchers. Its ecosystem combines interactive lectures, practical coursework, real-world simulations, physical robots, documentation, and technical support to connect theory with engineering practice.

For instructors, Duckietown offers teaching resources and solutions for creating vehicle-autonomy classes. Learners can study independently, follow lectures, build robots, develop professional skills, and connect with a community of fellow learners. Its hardware and software platform includes Duckiebots and Duckiematrix, supporting exploration of topics such as robotics, control, localization, computer vision, and autonomous driving. Researchers use Duckietown and its Autolabs for work on mobile robotics and physically embodied AI, including reproducible experiments and customizable smart-city test environments. The organization also provides challenges, project ideas, research materials, and learning opportunities, including its “Self-Driving Cars with Duckietown” course. Overall, Duckietown brings education, practical robotics, and research together in an engaging, accessible ecosystem.