TECHNOLOGY · FOCUS
Microduck: more than 20,000 preorders reported after a demonstration
According to TechCrunch, Clem Delangue reports more than 20,000 preorders for Microduck robots following their demonstration at GTC Berlin. Pollen Robotics presents these open source devices as customizable by their owners, but the reported volume provides no information about actual deliveries.
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Microduck robots drew more than 20,000 preorders the day after a demonstration by Jensen Huang at GTC Berlin, according to a statement by Clem Delangue reported by TechCrunch on October 23. The article places the presentation earlier in the week. The figure represents reported preorders and does not establish how many robots have actually been delivered.
The demonstration showed these small robots sitting down, pretending to nap and performing flips on voice command. TechCrunch describes them as open source devices produced by Pollen Robotics. Their basic movements were learned in simulation using Nvidia technologies before being incorporated into the robots sold commercially.
Pollen says owners can teach them new tricks and then share them with the community. This advertised capability gives the product an appeal beyond the demonstration alone: its value could also depend on the behaviors users manage to create and share. However, the reported information does not allow an assessment of how easy this training is or the quality of future contributions.
The attention generated by the presentation therefore represents a reported indication of commercial interest. It is insufficient to measure the devices’ reliability, their use over time or the conversion of reservations into completed purchases.