Nvidia CEO Demo Drives 20,000 Robot Duck Preorders

20,000 preorders for the Microduck robot were recorded within 24 hours of a viral keynote demonstration at GTC Berlin earlier this week. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was filmed interacting with a group of the small machines, which performed actions such as sitting, falling over, and executing somersaults on voice command. The footage showed the units waddling and making beeping sounds, drawing widespread attention online.

Clem Delangue, co-founder of Hugging Face, confirmed the preorder milestone in a tweet the following day. He suggested the robots could become the best-selling unit of the year, noting that marketing materials feature adults using the devices alongside children. The company expects to deliver the Microducks in time for Christmas, positioning them as a competitive holiday gift option.

The Microducks are open-source hardware originally built by Pollen Robotics. Hugging Face acquired Pollen Robotics in 2025. In September of this year, Nvidia purchased Hugging Face, making the Microduck an Nvidia product. This is the second robot developed by the organization, following the earlier release of the Reachy Mini. The devices are trained using Nvidia's technology stack, where simulations teach the robots basic movements like walking and standing. Owners can add new tricks and share them with the community.

The surge in orders occurred during a week marked by industry focus on AI-driven cyberattacks. The Microduck video provided a lighter contrast to those reports. The robots ship with pre-loaded behaviors, but their open-source nature allows for user modification. The preorder count reflects direct consumer interest following the public demonstration.