Jensen Huang's Viral Microduck Demo Sparks 20,000 Preorders

Twenty thousand is the number of preorders that flooded in for the Microduck robot just one day after its public debut. The surge in demand was triggered by a viral video from earlier this week, which showed Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang interacting with a group of the waddling machines during his keynote speech at the GTC Berlin conference. The footage captured the robots stomping their feet, emitting small mechanical sounds reminiscent of the fictional droid R2 D2, and performing specific actions like sitting, lying down for a nap, and doing somersaults upon receiving voice commands.

The timeline of this sudden popularity began with the acquisition of the technology behind the robots. Pollen Robotics, the original manufacturer of the Microducks, was acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. In September of this year, Nvidia purchased Hugging Face, effectively bringing the robot line under the GPU giant's umbrella. This marks the second robotic product for the company, following the earlier release of the Reachy Mini. The Microducks are open source devices that have been trained using Nvidia's specific technology stack.

The training process involved using simulations to teach the robots their basic factory settings, such as walking, sitting, and standing. Pollen notes that owners can further customize their units by teaching them new tricks and sharing these custom behaviors with the broader user community. The devices are expected to be delivered in time for the Christmas holiday season.

Clem Delangue of Hugging Face confirmed the preorder milestone in a tweet, noting that the robots might become the best-selling robot of the year. He suggested that the appeal may extend beyond children, as promotional material features adults enjoying the devices as well. The combination of cuteness and technical novelty has positioned the Microducks to potentially become a top holiday gift item.

The launch comes at a notable moment for the artificial intelligence industry. Earlier this week, the sector faced significant criticism as AI involvement was linked to a series of cyberattacks. While those events highlighted the potential risks of the technology, the Microduck demonstration offered a contrasting narrative focused on entertainment and accessibility. The visual appeal of the robots has resonated with a wide audience, making it difficult for many viewers to resist the urge to place an order.

As the holiday shopping season approaches, the Microducks are already generating buzz as a potential standout toy. The rapid sales velocity suggests that the device may define a new category of consumer robotics. With delivery scheduled before the winter holidays, the robots are poised to enter living rooms across the country, bringing a blend of technological innovation and playful interaction to a diverse group of owners.