Four robots, roughly 10 inches tall, walked onto Nvidia’s GTC Berlin stage on Wednesday evening, then sat, tumbled, and attempted somersaults. The demonstration introduced Microduck, a small biped developed by Pollen Robotics.

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang guided the robots through several commands, showing how machines weighing less than two pounds each could move and respond during a live presentation. 

The demonstration also highlighted the computing behind those movements. According to Huang, the robots were trained in the cloud using large Nvidia systems, with their movements refined inside an Omniverse digital twin running on an RTX Spark machine.

The four Microducks initially walked out on their own. Huang greeted them, asked them to sit, and then instructed them to stand again.

A request to take a nap produced a less orderly response. Three robots promptly tipped onto the floor, while the fourth continued walking for a few more steps before falling onto its side.

Huang laughed and encouraged the machines to get back up before asking them to somersault. A couple completed the movement, while others remained in place or needed further encouragement.

One robot wandered farther away, tripped, and righted itself. Huang then called it back: “Pay attention. Stay focused. Come here.”

The Microduck eventually approached and sat down, drawing more laughter from the audience. The sequence showed both the movements the robots could perform and the uneven responses that accompanied their live appearance.

Each Microduck contains 15 motors distributed across its legs, neck, and head. Its onboard equipment also includes a front camera, a depth sensor, and two small inertial measurement units.

Source link