Hottest toy for Christmas? Nvidia CEO plays with adorable Microduck robots, 20,000 sell
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang showcased 'Microduck' robots at a recent conference, leading to over 20,000 preorders for the open-source devices. Developed by Pollen Robotics, which was acquired by Hugging Face and subsequently Nvidia, these robots are being positioned as a popular holiday toy.
Why it matters
The viral success of these robots demonstrates the growing consumer interest in accessible, AI-driven robotics and the consolidation of AI talent under major tech giants.
Earlier this week, a video of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang playing with a flock of waddling Microducks during his keynote at the company’s GTC Berlin conference went viral. The robots, stomping their little feet and making tiny R2-D2 noises, sat, fell down dead for a “nap,” and summersaulted on voice command. They were so darn cute that by the next day, preorders of the Microducks surpassed 20,000 units, Hugging Face’s Clem Delangue said in a tweet.
The Microducks are expected to be delivered in time for Christmas, meaning these robots might already be on their way to becoming the hottest toy for the holiday season. Delangue thinks they might end up being the best-selling robot of the year, and possibly not even for kids. The promotional videos show adults playing with them , too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in