Hugging Face and Nvidia Microducks Secure 20,000 Preorders
Following a viral moment at the GTC Berlin conference, preorders for the waddling robot have surpassed 20,000 units.
By Anna Nowak ·
Preorders for the Microduck robot have crossed the 20,000 unit mark just days after appearing on stage at Nvidia’s GTC Berlin conference. The surge in demand follows a viral video featuring Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang interacting with the devices during the event. By the day after the keynote, Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue announced via social media that reservations had reached that total.
The timeline of the device's rapid rise to prominence began earlier this week at the conference in Berlin. During the keynote, a video showed Huang playing with a group of the waddling robots. The footage captured the devices stomping their feet and emitting sounds comparable to R2-D2. The robots demonstrated a range of capabilities on voice command, including sitting, performing somersaults, and falling down to simulate a nap.
Following the display at GTC Berlin, the video circulated widely online. The reaction was immediate, with Delangue confirming that the following day, preorder requests had passed 20,000 units. The devices are scheduled for delivery in time for Christmas, positioning them as a prominent item for the holiday season.
Delangue has suggested the Microduck could become the best-selling robot of the year. He has also noted that the market for the device may not be limited to children, as promotional materials depict adults engaging with the technology as well.
The Microduck is an open source device manufactured by Pollen Robotics. Pollen Robotics was acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. The corporate lineage continued to evolve when Nvidia purchased Hugging Face in September of this year, placing the production of the device under the Nvidia corporate umbrella.
This release represents the second robot produced by Hugging Face, following the Reachy Mini. The Microduck was developed using Nvidia’s technology stack. Through simulations, the devices were trained to perform basic movements such as walking, sitting, and standing. Pollen Robotics has stated that while these tricks are included at the start, owners can teach the robots new behaviors and share those instructions with the wider community.
Source: TechCrunch
