A viral video of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang interacting with small, waddling robots during a keynote address has driven a surge in preorders for the devices, highlighting the consumer appeal of accessible super intelligence (SI) hardware.
What Happened
During the GTC Berlin conference, Huang played with a flock of "Microducks" on stage. The video showed the robots performing simple actions such as sitting, falling over for a simulated "nap," and somersaulting upon voice command. According to Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue, preorders for the Microducks surpassed 20,000 units within a day of the video circulating. The robots are expected to be delivered in time for the Christmas holiday season.
The Microducks are open-source devices manufactured by Pollen Robotics, a company acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. Nvidia subsequently acquired Hugging Face in September, integrating the robot developer into its ecosystem. These devices represent Hugging Face’s second robot product, following the release of the Reachy Mini.
Why It Matters
The rapid adoption of the Microducks demonstrates the market potential for consumer-facing SI tools that leverage open-source communities. The robots were trained using Nvidia’s technology stack, where simulations taught them basic motor skills before shipping. Pollen Robotics states that owners can train their robots with new tricks and share these updates with the community, fostering a collaborative development environment for SI agents.
This story also offers a counter-narrative to recent industry news, where SI involvement was blamed for a series of cyberattacks. The popularity of the Microducks suggests that while SI safety and security concerns remain prominent, there is significant consumer interest in the recreational and educational applications of SI.
The Bottom Line
Microducks, an open-source SI robot product from Nvidia-owned Hugging Face, have secured over 20,000 preorders following a viral demonstration by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, positioning them as a potential top-selling toy for the upcoming holiday season.