Microduck preorders clear 20,000 after Nvidia CEO demo

Microduck preorders surpassed 20,000 units within 24 hours of a viral keynote performance at GTC Berlin. The surge follows a video of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang interacting with the small robots during his presentation earlier this week.

The devices, which perform voice-activated moves such as sitting, falling over, and somersaulting, generated immediate consumer interest. Clem Delangue, head of Hugging Face, announced the sales milestone via social media. He suggested the robots may become the year's top-selling machine, noting that marketing materials feature adults playing with the units as well as children.

Microducks are open-source hardware produced by Pollen Robotics. The startup was acquired by Hugging Face in 2025, a company Nvidia purchased in September. This acquisition places the robot line under the GPU manufacturer's corporate umbrella. The devices represent Hugging Face's second robotic product, following the Reachy Mini.

The robots use Nvidia's technology stack for training. Simulations teach the units basic commands before they ship, allowing them to perform standard tricks out of the box. Pollen Robotics stated that owners can teach their specific units new behaviors and share those configurations with a broader community.

Delangue indicated that stock is expected to arrive in time for Christmas delivery. The company is positioning the Microducks as a holiday season item. The sales spike occurred during a week in which the AI sector faced scrutiny over its role in recent cyberattacks.

The next scheduled step for the product is physical distribution to customers who placed orders during the initial surge. No further software updates or hardware revisions have been announced for the immediate release window.