Hugging Face Reports 20,000 Microduck Preorders After GTC Demo

Hugging Face reported that preorders for its Microduck robots surpassed 20,000 units within 24 hours of a viral keynote demonstration.

The surge in sales followed a video of Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang interacting with the devices during the GTC Berlin conference earlier this week. In the footage, the small robots performed voice-activated commands, including sitting, falling over, and executing somersaults. Clem Delangue, co-founder of Hugging Face, confirmed the preorder milestone on social media.

The timeline of the acquisition places the product under the Nvidia umbrella. Nvidia purchased Hugging Face in September 2026. Hugging Face had previously acquired Pollen Robotics in 2025, the original manufacturer of the Microducks. This makes the Microduck the second consumer robot released by the Hugging Face brand, following the Reachy Mini.

The devices utilize Nvidia's technology stack for training. Developers taught the robots basic behaviors through simulations before shipping. Pollen Robotics stated that owners can program new tricks and share these custom programs with the user community.

Hugging Face expects to deliver the units in time for the Christmas holiday season. Delangue suggested the robots could become the year's best-selling device, noting that promotional materials feature adults as well as children using the product. The open-source nature of the hardware allows for community-driven modifications beyond the factory-installed settings.