A company called Clone Robotics just released a video of its new humanoid robot, and it's kind of wild. The robot — called Protoclone — doesn’t just move like a human, it looks a lot like one too. The video shows it twitching, flexing, and even kicking, which some viewers found a little... creepy. But believe it or not, the end goal is to make robots that can help you around the house.
A Human-Inspired Robot
Clone Robotics started making headlines a few years ago with a robotic hand that mimics the structure and movement of a real human hand. That was just the beginning. The company is now working on a full-body version of the robot, which could eventually fold your laundry, wash your dishes, and even vacuum your floors.
That’s why the robot is designed to look and move like a person — most household tools are made for human hands and movements. So, a robot with a similar body could handle those tasks more naturally.
Muscles Made From Balloons?
Here’s where it gets really interesting: the robot moves using artificial muscles, which work a bit like our own. The system is called Myofiber, and it was inspired by how human muscles contract.
Instead of using motors or gears, these “muscles” are made of a mesh tube with a balloon inside. When fluid is pumped into the balloon, it expands and makes the mesh squeeze in — just like a muscle contracting. This gives the robot very smooth, realistic motion.
A powerful pump inside the robot acts like a heart, moving fluid through the muscles to make the limbs move. It’s a pretty clever design that makes the robot’s motions look more human than robotic.
Built to Feel and Learn
The Protoclone doesn’t just move — it’s also built to sense the world around it. It’s packed with:
- Depth cameras in its head to see,
- 70 sensors to keep track of its joints,
- And 320 pressure sensors to feel how much force its muscles are using.
- This means it could eventually learn tasks just by watching someone do them. So instead of programming it step by step, you could just show it how to fold a shirt or load the dishwasher.
What’s Next?
Right now, the robot in the video isn’t quite ready to scrub your kitchen — it’s more of a prototype. But it already has more than 1,000 artificial muscles, 200 sensors, and over 200 degrees of freedom, which means it can bend and move in incredibly lifelike ways.
Clone Robotics says the first batch of commercial robots — called Clone Alpha — will be limited to just 279 units. Preorders are expected to open later this year, though pricing hasn’t been announced yet.
The future may be closer than we think — and it might have strong arms and a vacuum.
Source: https://www.clonerobotics.com/
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