quackd MCP
quackd connects robots to Claude Code and Claude Desktop over MCP: nine tools and an executor with an allowlist
- 289 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- Apache-2.0
Broad access
Why this level
- The model moves a physical robot, an arm or a walking or wheeled platform, and a mistake means a fall or a strike
- The MOSS verb `collect_litter` is marked dangerous, and the Open Duck Mini has only a physical emergency stop
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add mcp/quackdDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- The model moves a physical robot, an arm or a walking or wheeled platform, and a mistake means a fall or a strike
- The MOSS verb `collect_litter` is marked dangerous, and the Open Duck Mini has only a physical emergency stop
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
quackd is a Python command-line tool that drives robots through an LLM. You register a robot by name, state a goal in a terminal or in chat, and the model picks the robot's own skills (verbs), how many steps to spend and when to ask a human. The `quackd serve-mcp` command turns one robot or a flock into an MCP server over stdio. The model you are chatting with in Claude Code or Claude Desktop becomes the pilot, and quackd selects no model of its own. The server exposes nine `robot_*` tools: list robots and their verbs, judge task feasibility, run a verb, grab a camera frame, say a phrase, load a `.duck` contract file, and read and write notes from earlier sessions. An executor sits between the model and each robot with a verb allowlist, a step budget, a heartbeat and confirmation gates. Until the model records a verdict on whether the task is feasible, any verb that moves the body is refused. Nine bodies are supported: Microduck, Open Duck Mini, the LeRobot SO-101 arm, XLeRobot, AlohaMini, ToddlerBot, Huebot, MOSS and wheeled ROS 2 bases through rosbridge. Only the LeRobot arm has run on real hardware so far, and the rest work in a simulator or on mocks. Without hardware you can attach a simulated duck: `claude mcp add quackd -- uvx --from "quackd[microduck]" quackd serve-mcp --robot microduck:sim2d`.
Who it is for. Roboticists and hobbyists who want to drive their robot or its simulator from Claude Code and Claude Desktop and keep safety rules between the model and the hardware.
Good fit when
- You want to drive a robot from chat: the phrase "find the ball and kick it" goes to the pilot model, which picks the verbs itself
- The agent loop is tested without hardware: the simulated duck `microduck:sim2d` runs with no equipment
- You have an SO-101 arm: quackd takes you from calibration to the first move in ten steps, and Claude drives it in chat
- Several robots are grouped into a flock under one server with `--flock NAME` or `--robots`
- Hard limits are required: a `.duck` contract file sets the allowed verbs and the step limit
Not a fit when
- You need physical accuracy for a gait or a grasp: the default simulator is a cartoon that tests the agent loop, not physics
- Your robot is not among the nine bodies and does not work through ROS 2 and rosbridge
- You want to choose the pilot model yourself: in MCP mode the client sets it, and the `--llm` flag belongs to `quackd run` only
- You need an unattended mode: any movement on hardware requires a person near the power switch
Example request
Attach quackd to Claude Code in simulator mode, show the robot's verb list and find the ball in the camera frame.MCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- not required
Limitations
- The `quackd` package installs no robot by itself: you pick a body with an extra (`quackd[microduck]`, `quackd[lerobot]` and so on), and Python 3.11 or newer and the `uv` manager are required.
- Only the LeRobot arm has run on a real robot, and the other eight bodies are tested on a simulator or mocks. The project is at the Alpha stage.
- Movement on hardware happens under supervision: confirmation gates, the budget and the heartbeat remain the last line of defense, and on the Open Duck Mini the only emergency stop is the power switch.
- The arm over MCP needs `quackd` from a virtual environment rather than `uvx`: `uvx` can build an environment without the LeRobot backend.
How to disable. `claude mcp remove quackd` removes the server from Claude Code, and for Claude Desktop you delete the entry from `claude_desktop_config.json` and restart the app. To stop a robot mid-run press Ctrl+C or the `q` key.
FAQ
How do I connect quackd to Claude Code?
Run `claude mcp add quackd -- uvx --from "quackd[microduck]" quackd serve-mcp --robot microduck:sim2d`: the server starts a simulated duck. In Claude Desktop the same command and arguments go into `claude_desktop_config.json`, followed by an app restart.
Do I need a model API key?
No. In MCP mode quackd selects no model and reads no keys: the model of your client is the pilot. Keys are needed only for `quackd run` with a cloud model.
Can the model move the robot right away?
No. Until the model records a feasibility verdict through `robot_assess_task`, `robot_run_verb` refuses any verb that moves the body. After that the allowlist, the step budget and the confirmation gates apply.
Which robots are supported?
Nine bodies: Microduck, Open Duck Mini, the LeRobot SO-101 arm, XLeRobot, AlohaMini, ToddlerBot, Huebot, MOSS and wheeled ROS 2 bases. For the SO-101 arm the README has a ten-step walkthrough.
What is a .duck file?
A task contract. It limits the verb list and the step budget. The `robot_load_duckfile` tool checks it against the robot's manifest, attaches it to one robot and returns the file body as instructions.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Tool | Official | Authentication | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| quackd (this card) | no | not required | 289 | |
| ROS MCP Server | no | not required | 1,515 | connects an agent to a ROS robot through rosbridge, with no executor, budget or confirmations and no other bodies |
| Robotics Agent Skills | no | 393 | ten skills on ROS and robotics for coding agents, they do not drive a robot |
README in short
The README opens with the author's case for why robots need an outside brain and a shared control point, then gives an SO-101 arm quick start from the terminal and from Claude. It continues with the executor rules, a verb table per body, test status, the pilot model list, flock mode, the Robot Passport protocol for robots meeting each other, limitations and a safety section.