NVIDIA Demo Sends MicroDuck Preorders Near 20,000

Preorders for MicroDuck, a small open-source bipedal robot developed by Hugging Face subsidiary Pollen Robotics, are close to passing 20,000. Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue said orders increased after NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang demonstrated the robot during his GTC keynote in Berlin on the 22nd. Delangue called the surge the “Jensen Huang keynote effect” and said the total could pass 20,000 as soon as the following day, potentially making MicroDuck the best-selling robot of 2026. The 20,000 figure is the total of preorders received since August 2025, not sales made on the day after the demonstration.

During the demonstration, MicroDuck tapped its small feet, made electronic sounds, sat down, and toppled over as if asleep. It also performed a somersault in response to Huang’s words. The robot is 25 centimeters tall, weighs 800 grams, and costs $399 before tax and shipping. It can walk, sit, stand, kick a small ball, pick up objects with its beak, and get back up after falling. With separate rollers attached, it can move as if skating. NVIDIA acquired Hugging Face in September 2025.

Users can teach MicroDuck new movements instead of only watching preset actions. The robot learns movements through reinforcement learning (learning behavior through trial and error) in a virtual environment, then applies them to the physical robot. Its software, simulation, and training tools are publicly available, allowing users to modify or train movements and share them with others. NVIDIA said RTX Spark also helps AI agents transfer MicroDuck from simulation into the real world.

Figures cited in the report show that Unitree said it sold and delivered more than 5,500 humanoid robots to customers last year, while AgiBot shipped 5,168, according to Omdia. Smart Analytics Global estimated worldwide humanoid shipments at 19,100 in the first half of 2026: about 8,400 from AgiBot and about 5,900 from Unitree. It forecast that the full-year market would approach 60,000 units. If all MicroDuck preorders ship, the total would exceed each company’s annual figure for last year, though the small consumer robot and industrial or research humanoids differ in price and purpose, making direct comparison difficult. The International Federation of Robotics reported that consumer robot sales totaled 34.2 million units last year. The report said MicroDuck’s preorders indicate consumer demand for small, open-source robots aimed at developers.

Preorders for MicroDuck, a small open-source bipedal robot developed by Hugging Face subsidiary Pollen Robotics, are close to passing 20,000. Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue said orders increased after NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang demonstrated the robot during his GTC keynote in Berlin on the 22nd. Delangue called the surge the “Jensen Huang keynote effect” and said the total could pass 20,000 as soon as the following day, potentially making MicroDuck the best-selling robot of 2026. The 20,000 figure is the total of preorders received since August 2025, not sales made on the day after the demonstration.

During the demonstration, MicroDuck tapped its small feet, made electronic sounds, sat down, and toppled over as if asleep. It also performed a somersault in response to Huang’s words. The robot is 25 centimeters tall, weighs 800 grams, and costs $399 before tax and shipping. It can walk, sit, stand, kick a small ball, pick up objects with its beak, and get back up after falling. With separate rollers attached, it can move as if skating. NVIDIA acquired Hugging Face in September 2025.

Users can teach MicroDuck new movements instead of only watching preset actions. The robot learns movements through reinforcement learning (learning behavior through trial and error) in a virtual environment, then applies them to the physical robot. Its software, simulation, and training tools are publicly available, allowing users to modify or train movements and share them with others. NVIDIA said RTX Spark also helps AI agents transfer MicroDuck from simulation into the real world.

Figures cited in the report show that Unitree said it sold and delivered more than 5,500 humanoid robots to customers last year, while AgiBot shipped 5,168, according to Omdia. Smart Analytics Global estimated worldwide humanoid shipments at 19,100 in the first half of 2026: about 8,400 from AgiBot and about 5,900 from Unitree. It forecast that the full-year market would approach 60,000 units. If all MicroDuck preorders ship, the total would exceed each company’s annual figure for last year, though the small consumer robot and industrial or research humanoids differ in price and purpose, making direct comparison difficult. The International Federation of Robotics reported that consumer robot sales totaled 34.2 million units last year. The report said MicroDuck’s preorders indicate consumer demand for small, open-source robots aimed at developers.