GTC Berlin: Microduck preorders hit 20,000

20,000 units. That is the number of Microduck preorders recorded within 24 hours of a video showing Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang with the robots. Clem Delangue of Hugging Face shared the figure in a tweet. The footage captured Huang at the GTC Berlin conference this week. He was seen interacting with a group of the devices. The robots waddled, sat, and performed somersaults on voice commands. They also fell over to simulate napping.

The Microduck is an open source robot produced by Pollen Robotics. Pollen was acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. Hugging Face was subsequently purchased by Nvidia in September. This makes the Microduck an Nvidia product. It is the second robot released by the company, following the Reachy Mini. The device is designed for both children and adults.

Delangue stated that the robots are expected to arrive before Christmas. He believes the Microduck could become the best-selling robot of the year. The promotional materials feature adults playing with the devices, suggesting a market beyond traditional toys.

The robots were trained using Nvidia’s technology stack. Simulations were used to teach basic tricks like walking and standing. These functions are included in the initial shipment. Pollen Robotics allows owners to teach the devices new behaviors. Users can then share these custom tricks with the wider community. The viral nature of the keynote clip drove the immediate spike in demand.

The Microduck produces small noises similar to the R2-D2 droid from Star Wars. The video of Huang with the robots spread quickly on social media. The timing coincided with a week where AI involvement was blamed for several cyberattacks. The lighthearted demo offered a contrast to the industry’s recent news cycle. The preorders have now secured the robot’s place in the holiday market.