Nvidia's Jensen Huang Showcases Microduck Robots

A viral moment at a recent tech conference has sparked a surge in demand for a new robotic toy. Footage of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang demonstrating a group of small, duck-like robots during his keynote at the GTC Berlin conference has spread rapidly across the internet. The video shows the devices, known as Microducks, performing a variety of actions on command, including walking, sitting, and even taking a nap.

The reaction has been immediate and significant. According to Clem Delangue, a tweet from him indicated that preorders for the Microducks surpassed 20,000 units within a day of the keynote video gaining attention. The robots are expected to be delivered in time for the Christmas holiday, positioning them as a potential top toy for the season. Delangue has suggested they could be the best-selling robot of the year, noting that promotional materials feature adults playing with the devices as well as children.

The creation of the Microducks involves a complex corporate relationship. They are produced by Pollen Robotics, a company that was acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. This acquisition made Pollen Robotics a subsidiary of Hugging Face. In a subsequent move, Nvidia acquired Hugging Face in September of this year, which in turn placed Pollen Robotics under the Nvidia umbrella.

The development of the Microducks' capabilities relied on technology from their parent company. The robots were trained using Nvidia's technology stack, where simulations were used to teach them basic tricks such as walking, sitting, and standing, which they are shipped with. Pollen Robotics states that owners can train their own robots to perform new tricks and then share those skills with the wider community.

This is not the first robotic device from Hugging Face, as the company previously released a similar product called the Reachy Mini. The creation of the Microducks is part of a broader trend of AI technology being used to create interactive hardware. The video of the dancing robots has provided a lighter counterpoint to other news this week, where AI was implicated in a series of cyberattacks.

The current preorder figures and holiday delivery schedule point toward a busy season for the company. As the devices begin to ship, the focus will be on whether the initial viral interest translates into sustained sales. The combination of the open-source nature of the robots and their demonstrated capabilities has created significant interest ahead of the holiday shopping period.