Can somebody let this robot down?

It's not clear that anyone was asking for a company to build a muscular, sinewy robot or to see a video of it dangling, helpless from a hook, but life is full of surprises and " data-original-link="

">this YouTube video of Clone Robotics' "Protoclone" is here all the same.

The Protoclone appears to be a prototype version of the "Clone" robot the aptly named Clone Robotics is working to build. The video shows the Protoclone flexing its arms and legs, with visible artificial muscle fibers moving underneath its white "skin." Based on Clone Robotic's video description, the impressive part here is that fact that the Protoclone has "over 200 degrees of freedom, over 1,000 Myofibers, and over 200 sensors," and also that the robot is "faceless," for some reason.

The end goal for the startup is to build an android that's anatomically correct, with synthetic nervous, skeletal, muscular and vascular systems powering its movement. The "Myofibers" included in the Protoclone are a custom Clone Robotics creation with "the desirable qualities of mammalian skeletal muscle." For the eventual Clone robot's purposes, those qualities are the ability to "respond in less than 50 ms with a bigger than 30 percent unloaded contraction" and "at least a kilogram of contraction force for a single, three gram muscle fiber," according to Clone Robotics' website

That the Protoclone is dangling in the video rather than roaming around of its own accord is a reflection of its prototype nature. Robots are often hung or propped up with a support arm until they can support their own body weight, something that can be hard to achieve without all of the right materials.

Clone Robotics is not unique in pursuing a human-like robot that could theoretically replace human workers. Figure is exploring a similar idea, minus the muscles. Tesla started off on the wrong foot with a person in a spandex suit, but it's serious about robots, too. Even the largest of tech companies have turned their attention to robots: Both Meta and Apple are reportedly exploring robotics as a future product category. It's fair to say Clone Robotics is winning when it comes to posting videos of muscular robots, though.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/can-somebody-let-this-robot-down-222011506.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/science/can-somebody-let-this-robot-down-222011506.html?src=rss
Létrehozva 1mo | 2025. febr. 21. 23:20:08


Jelentkezéshez jelentkezzen be

EGYÉB POSTS Ebben a csoportban

Sony has been backing up its PS5 game builds as part of a preservation effort

Back in 2022, Sony hired Garrett Fredley to join its then newly form

2025. márc. 29. 17:20:20 | Engadget
Amazon Spring Sale tech deals: The best discounts from Apple, Bose, iRobot, Dyson and others

This year’s Amazon Spring Sale is in full swing, and as promised, a ton of household, fashion and outdoor gear ha

2025. márc. 29. 17:20:18 | Engadget
Amazon Spring Sale robot vacuum deals: The best sales from Dyson, Shark, iRobot and others

One notable trend at CES earlier this year was the quirky robot vacuum. It seemed every third booth had a new model that could

2025. márc. 29. 17:20:17 | Engadget
The best Amazon Spring Sale deals on kitchen tech from Ninja, Breville, KitchenAid and others

Food is probably the third most-discussed topic in Engadget’s Slack rooms. Having more than a few cuisine-obsessed folk on staff means when there’s an opportunity to review a new bit of cooking tec

2025. márc. 29. 17:20:15 | Engadget
Amazon Spring Sale tech deals under $50: The best discounts on chargers, earbuds, accessories and more

Amazon’s latest sales event is underway. The so-called

2025. márc. 29. 17:20:14 | Engadget
The new Tamagotchi game for Nintendo Switch will connect with Tamagotchi Uni

The Nintendo Direct livestream on Thursday brought some unexpected news for

2025. márc. 29. 17:20:13 | Engadget