20,000 Microducks Ordered After Nvidia CEO’s Viral Keynote

Preorders for the Microduck robot have surged past 20,000 units in just 24 hours, following a viral demonstration by Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang.

The sudden spike in demand was triggered by footage from the GTC Berlin conference earlier this week, where Huang was seen interacting with a flock of the small, autonomous devices. In the video, the robots are shown waddling, performing somersaults on voice commands, and simulating sleep by falling over. The clip highlighted their ability to replicate the iconic beeping sounds of the droid R2-D2 from the Star Wars franchise, a feature that appears to have resonated strongly with viewers.

Clem Delangue, the head of Hugging Face, confirmed the preorder milestone via social media on Thursday. Delangue suggested that the Microduck could become the best-selling robot of the year, noting that the promotional materials feature adults engaging with the devices just as enthusiastically as children. This broad appeal suggests the toy may transcend its initial demographic, becoming a popular gift option for adults as well as kids.

With delivery expected before the Christmas holiday, the Microduck is rapidly establishing itself as a potential top seller for the season. The timing is critical, as holiday shoppers begin their final rounds of purchasing. The device’s charm, combined with the high-profile endorsement from one of the tech industry’s most visible leaders, has created a momentum that few new hardware products achieve so quickly.

The hardware is produced by Pollen Robotics, a company acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. Since Hugging Face was purchased by Nvidia in September, the Microduck is now technically part of the GPU giant’s portfolio. This marks Hugging Face’s second major robot release, following the earlier launch of the Reachy Mini, which also garnered attention for its design.

The Microduck is built on an open-source architecture, allowing for a degree of customization that sets it apart from closed consumer electronics. The devices were trained using Nvidia’s proprietary technology stack. During the training process, simulations of the robots were taught a baseline set of behaviors, including walking, sitting, and standing, which are pre-installed on the units shipped to customers.

Pollen Robotics has indicated that owners will be able to train their specific units with new tricks and share these custom behaviors with the wider community. This open-source approach fosters a collaborative environment where users can expand the capabilities of their hardware beyond the factory settings.

The viral success of the Microduck provides a stark contrast to the recent tone in the artificial intelligence sector. Over the past few days, the industry has faced significant scrutiny, with AI involvement being cited in a series of high-profile cyberattacks. While those events have painted a serious, and sometimes alarming, picture of the technology’s impact, the Microduck serves as a lighter reminder of the industry’s capacity for creativity and fun.

For now, the narrative surrounding the Microduck is dominated by its popularity and the ease with which it captured public attention. As the holiday season approaches, the device may prove to be more than just a novelty, potentially redefining expectations for what a consumer robot can achieve in its first major commercial run.