Microduck Mania: 20,000 Preorders for Christmas
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang showcased tiny, voice-controlled duck robots at GTC Berlin, and the response from consumers was immediate and massive.
By Mykola Bondarenko ·
Preorders for the new Microduck robot have crossed 20,000 units, a surge in demand that followed a viral video of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang playing with the devices during his keynote at the GTC Berlin conference. The video showed a flock of the small, waddling robots performing a series of tricks on voice command, including walking, sitting, falling down for a nap, and performing somersaults. The devices also produced small, R2-D2-like sounds. The preorder figure was announced by Hugging Face's Clem Delangue in a tweet posted the day after the keynote.
The rapid sales figures are a direct result of the viral video featuring the robots at the GTC Berlin conference earlier this week. The video, showing the Microducks stomping their feet and responding to commands, spread quickly online. By the following day, Clem Delangue, CEO of Hugging Face, reported the preorder numbers had surpassed 20,000 units. Delangue has suggested that the Microducks could become the best-selling robot of the year, noting that promotional videos feature adults interacting with them, not only children.
The development of the Microduck involves a series of corporate acquisitions. The robots are produced by Pollen Robotics, which Hugging Face acquired in 2025. Nvidia subsequently purchased Hugging Face in September, making Pollen Robotics and its products part of the Nvidia company. The Microduck is the second robot from Hugging Face, following the release of a similar device called the Reachy Mini.
The robots were trained using Nvidia's technology stack, where simulations taught them basic tricks like walking, sitting, and standing. These are the functions they ship with. According to Pollen Robotics, owners can train their own robots to perform new tricks and then share those with the community. The company has stated that units are expected to be delivered in time for Christmas.
The timing of the releases positions the Microduck as a potential top toy for the holiday shopping season. The combination of the viral keynote video and the subsequent preorder numbers has generated significant interest in the device. The technology industry has faced negative attention this week due to a series of cyberattacks where AI involvement was blamed, but the Microduck offers a different side of the technology, one that is playful and engaging.
Source: TechCrunch
