Microduck preorders hit 20,000 after viral CEO clip

Jensen Huang’s impromptu play with a flock of small robots during his keynote at GTC Berlin earlier this week turned the Microduck into an instant best seller. Preorders for the device surpassed 20,000 units by the day after the event, according to Clem Delangue, the head of Hugging Face. The surge in demand followed a video of the CEO interacting with the devices, which showed them walking, sitting, and performing somersaults on voice commands.

The robots are designed to appeal to a wide audience, including adults. Delangue suggested the Microduck could become the year’s top selling robot, noting that promotional materials feature grown adults using the devices. The company plans to deliver the units in time for the Christmas season, positioning them as a potential holiday gift item.

The Microduck is an open source device created by Pollen Robotics. Pollen was acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. Hugging Face, in turn, was purchased by Nvidia in September. This acquisition places the robot under the umbrella of the GPU manufacturer. The Microduck is the second robotic product from Hugging Face, following the Reachy Mini.

The devices run on Nvidia’s technology stack. The company used simulations to teach the robots basic movements such as walking, standing, and sitting. These tricks are included in the initial software package. Pollen Robotics states that owners can train their specific units to learn new behaviors. Users can then share these new tricks with the wider community of Microduck owners.