Hottest toy for Christmas? Nvidia CEO plays with adorable Microduck robots, 20,000 sell
The robots, stomping their little feet and making tiny R2-D2 noises, sat, fell down dead for a "nap," and summersaulted on voice command.
This past week, a video featuring Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang engaging with a collection of charming Microducks robots surfaced online, capturing the attention of many. These diminutive creatures, complete with miniature feet and R2-D2-like vocalizations, could rest, awaken for a "nap," and even somersault upon receiving voice commands.
Their endearing nature led to a surge in preorders for the Microducks, with Hugging Face's Clem Delangue announcing via Twitter that the count had surpassed 20,000 units by the following day. Anticipated to be delivered before Christmas, these robots could potentially become the top-selling toy of the holiday season, possibly even eclipsing other robots in popularity.
Delangue believes they may appeal to adults as much as children, with promotional videos showcasing adults interacting with them. Manufactured by Pollen Robotics, a company acquired by Hugging Face in 2025, the Microducks are now under Nvidia's ownership following Nvidia's acquisition of Hugging Face in September. The robots, trained using Nvidia's technology, can perform basic commands such as walking, sitting, and standing.
Users have the option to train their Microducks with new tricks, which they can subsequently share with the community. The following video offers a delightful respite from the recent controversies surrounding AI involvement in cyberattacks. Despite the serious implications of AI, this video demonstrates that it can also bring joy, as indicated by the overwhelming enthusiasm expressed in the video.
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