Hugging Face reports 20,000 Microduck preorders after Nvidia keynote

Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue announced on Tuesday that preorders for the Microduck robot have surpassed 20,000 units. The spike in sales followed a viral video from earlier this week showing Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang interacting with the devices during his keynote at GTC Berlin.

The footage captured Huang playing with a group of the small robots. In the clip, the Microducks stomp their feet, emit sounds resembling the droid from Star Wars, and perform actions like sitting, falling over, and doing somersaults on voice command. Delangue stated that the preorders exceeded the 20,000 mark by the day after the conference ended.

Pollen Robotics produces the Microducks, an open-source device. The company was acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. Hugging Face was subsequently bought by Nvidia in September, making the robot an Nvidia product. The Microduck is the second robot developed by Hugging Face, following the Reachy Mini. The devices were trained using Nvidia's technology stack, which simulates basic tricks like walking and standing before shipping. Pollen Robotics allows owners to train the robots with new behaviors and share them with the community.

Delangue suggested the Microduck could become the best-selling robot of the year, noting that promotional materials feature adults as well as children using the device. The company expects to deliver the robots in time for the Christmas holiday season.

The surge in Microduck preorders occurs amid a week of high-profile cyberattacks attributed to AI involvement. The contrast between the serious industry news and the playful nature of the robot has drawn widespread attention to the product.