Nvidia's Robot Duck Demo Draws 20,000 Orders

Preorders for a small, open-source robot duck have exceeded 20,000 units, following a viral video of Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang interacting with the devices. The surge in orders comes after Huang demonstrated the robots, known as Microducks, during his keynote address at Nvidia's GTC Berlin conference earlier this week.

The video showed a group of the small robots performing various actions on command. They were seen waddling, stomping their feet, and emitting small electronic sounds. At one point in the demonstration, they were instructed to fall over to simulate a nap, and they also performed somersaults. The clip was widely shared following the event.

Following the release of the video, preorders for the Microducks rose past the 20,000 mark by the following day, according to Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue. The devices are expected to be delivered in time for the Christmas holiday. Delangue suggested in a post that the Microducks could become the best-selling robot of the year, adding that the market for them may not be limited to children.

The promotional materials for the robots feature adults engaging with the devices as well. The Microducks are produced by Pollen Robotics, a company that was acquired by Hugging Face in 2025. Hugging Face, in turn, was acquired by Nvidia in September of this year. This relationship makes the Microducks an Nvidia product.

This is the second robot released by Hugging Face, following a previous device called the Reachy Mini. The creation of the Microducks involved training simulations of the robots to perform basic tasks. This training was conducted using Nvidia's technology stack, and the devices ship with the ability to walk, sit, and stand.

Owners of the robots have the ability to train them to perform new tricks. Pollen Robotics provides a way for users to share these newly learned skills with a wider community of owners. The company has made the device's software and design open source.

The demonstration of the Microducks occurred during a week when the artificial intelligence industry faced criticism over its role in a series of cyberattacks. While concerns about the potential risks of AI were being discussed, the video of the robots provided a contrasting example of the technology's application.

With preorders surpassing 20,000 units and delivery scheduled for the holiday season, the devices are positioned to be a popular item. The significant number of preorders indicates a high level of consumer interest in the robots following their public demonstration. The company has not yet announced any further details regarding production or availability beyond the current preorder numbers.