Polish robotics company Clone Robotics is making waves in the competitive humanoid robotics market with the launch of its first full-scale humanoid robot, Clone Alpha. This groundbreaking creation integrates synthetic organs and artificial muscles, aiming to replicate human skeletal, muscular, vascular, and nervous systems in a single robotic entity. With preorders now open for the first 279 units, Clone Alpha marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of robots that can move and function like humans.
Clone Alpha isn’t just another robot—it’s an advanced humanoid designed to replicate human anatomy as closely as possible. Built using Clone Robotics’ innovative Myofiber artificial muscle technology, the robot’s muscles are attached to the skeleton at anatomically precise points, mimicking the movements of real animals and humans alike.
In 2021, Clone Robotics introduced Myofiber as a revolutionary artificial muscle technology that serves as the foundation for Clone Alpha’s advanced muscular system. This system allows the robot to move naturally, with muscles that contract, expand, and work in tandem with each other just like biological muscles. The muscles are powered by water-based soft actuators that facilitate smooth, human-like motion, making Clone Alpha one of the most sophisticated humanoid robots to date.
Clone Robotics began its journey by developing a robotic hand with artificial bones and muscles, designed to mimic human functionality. This robotic hand, which could rotate its thumb and even catch a ball, was an early step in the company’s mission to create more lifelike robots. Building on this success, Clone Robotics moved on to develop a humanoid torso with realistic features like movable elbows, a cervical spine, and shoulder joints that mimicked human motion. Rather than forcing the robot’s movement through mechanical design, Clone Robotics chose to replicate human anatomy first and then enable natural motion through artificial muscles, resulting in strikingly realistic movements.
Taking this a step further, Clone Robotics developed Clone Alpha—a humanoid robot capable of walking naturally. This was made possible by replacing traditional rigid actuators with soft, water-powered artificial muscles, which are better suited to providing the fluid, human-like movement necessary for walking and other complex actions.
The centerpiece of Clone Alpha’s remarkable capabilities is the Myofiber artificial muscle technology, which animates the robot’s skeleton by attaching musculotendon units to specific anatomical points on the bones. Myofiber units are capable of achieving exceptional power, speed, and efficiency, offering a response time under 50 milliseconds, over 30% unloaded contraction, and a contraction force of at least 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) for a 3-gram muscle fiber. According to Clone Robotics, Myofiber is the only artificial muscle technology capable of achieving such impressive performance metrics.
The robot’s upper torso offers 164 degrees of freedom, including 20 degrees in the shoulder, 6 degrees of movement per vertebra in the spine, and 26 degrees in the hand, wrist, and elbow. This range of motion, combined with the precise placement of ligaments and tendons, allows Clone Alpha to achieve lifelike movement and gestures that have never been seen in humanoid robots before.
Clone Alpha’s nervous system allows it to control its muscles with impressive precision, thanks to proprioceptive and visual feedback. The robot is equipped with four depth cameras, 70 inertial sensors for joint-level feedback, and 320 pressure sensors to monitor muscle force. These sensors are all linked to microcontrollers that send data to the NVIDIA Jetson Thor GPU, which runs Clone Robotics’ Cybernet model—an advanced neural network designed to process the robot’s sensory input and produce real-time motor responses.
The robot’s vascular system, mimicking the human circulatory system, is powered by a compact, 500-watt electric pump that delivers 40 SLPM at 100 psi, closely resembling the function of a human heart. The Aquajet valve technology used in the vascular system operates under 1 watt of power, efficiently delivering hydraulic pressure to the muscles with a miniaturized design. This system plays a crucial role in ensuring that Clone Alpha’s artificial muscles receive the necessary power for movement while maintaining energy efficiency.
With Clone Alpha, Clone Robotics is poised to make significant strides in the humanoid robotics field. The company’s innovative use of artificial muscle technology, combined with advanced sensor systems and human-like movement capabilities, sets Clone Alpha apart as one of the most sophisticated humanoid robots available. As preorders open for the first 279 units, Clone Robotics is paving the way for a future where robots can move and interact in ways that closely mirror human behavior.
While Clone Alpha is just the beginning, Clone Robotics is already working on further advancements in humanoid robotics. The potential applications for robots like Clone Alpha are vast, ranging from healthcare and personal assistance to industrial automation and entertainment. As technology continues to evolve, humanoid robots will likely become an increasingly integral part of our daily lives, transforming the way we live and work.
In conclusion, Clone Robotics’ Clone Alpha represents a significant leap forward in the quest to create robots with human-like movement and functionality. With its innovative artificial muscle technology and realistic design, Clone Alpha is setting a new standard for humanoid robotics and positioning Clone Robotics as a key player in this rapidly growing field.
By Impact Lab
