Developed by the American-Polish company Clone Robotics, Protoclone is a unique humanoid robot that features a skeleton based on 206 human bones, 1,000 artificial muscles, and a water-based cooling system.
Clone Robotics first attracted attention online back in 2021, when it released a series of videos showcasing its artificial muscle system based on the McKibben pneumatic muscle. Back then, the company only had a functional robotic arm capable of grabbing and handling various objects, but it recently released footage of its first humanoid robot, dubbed Protoclone. The twitching, human-like figure suspended in mid-air is a far cry from the uncanny valley, in fact, it doesn’t even look capable of standing on its own two feet, but its muscle and skeletal are certainly intriguing. The metallic skeleton replicates 206 human bones, and the so-called “Myofiber” muscle system features 1,000 artificial muscles.
The artificial muscle system developed by Clone is based on the McKibben pneumatic muscle, with each muscle featuring a tube-like structure and a balloon inside. When air is pumped into the balloon, it expands, which in turn causes the tube to contract. Protoclone has a built-in 500W pump that pumps 40 liters of fluid per minute, contracting the artificial muscles in each part of the body.
Protoclone also features 500 sensors that work like human nerves, activating the muscles based on specific commands. The Protoclone has four built-in depth cameras to act as eyes, 70 inertial sensors to monitor joint position, and 320 pressure sensors for force feedback. In tandem, they will closely replicate human movements.
Another impressive feature of this unique humanoid robot is the cooling system, which works similarly to sweating. It mimics human sweat and uses water to dissipate heat and regulate the internal temperature, ensuring stable operation without overheating over long periods of time.
Clone Robotics obviously still has a lot of work to do on its Protoclone robot, but the company plans to already launch preorders this year, with the number of reservations limited to 279. No word on pricing so far, but you can bet it won’t be very cheap.
