Nvidia CEO showcases Microduck robots, 20,000 pre-orders in one day

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang surprised the crowd at the GTC Berlin keynote on Tuesday by pulling out a handful of waddling Microduck robots and playing with them on stage. The clip of the tiny bots bobbing, chirping like miniature R2‑D2s and responding to voice commands went viral within hours. By the next day, pre‑orders had topped 20,000 units, a figure shared by Hugging Face co‑founder Clem Delangue on Twitter.

The sudden buzz comes as Nvidia expands beyond graphics chips into consumer‑facing AI hardware. In September the chipmaker bought Hugging Face, the open‑source AI community that had acquired Pollen Robotics in 2025. Pollen is the maker of the Microducks, which are now technically an Nvidia product. The timing also lines up with the holiday shopping rush, giving the quirky robot a chance to become a seasonal bestseller. Industry analysts note that the AI sector has been under fire this week after a string of cyber‑attacks, so a light‑hearted gadget may provide a welcome distraction.

Microducks are small, open‑source robots that can walk, sit, stand and even do somersaults on command. They were trained using Nvidia’s AI stack, which ran simulations to teach the bots basic tricks before they left the factory. Owners can program new moves and share them with a growing online community, turning each duck into a customizable plaything. The devices are slated for delivery before Christmas, and the promotional videos show adults as well as children enjoying them, suggesting the market could be broader than traditional toys.

If demand holds, the Microduck could become the first mass‑market robot to ride the wave of consumer AI products. Nvidia’s entry into the toy aisle may signal a shift toward more playful, user‑programmable devices that showcase the company’s AI capabilities. Supply chains will be tested as the holiday season peaks, and retailers will likely watch closely to see whether the viral moment translates into sustained sales. Either way, the Microduck has already turned a tech conference demo into a potential holiday hit.