While we may be impressed by their artificial intelligence, humanoids often have an awkward, clunky gait.
Now, experts have developed a robot with astonishingly lifelike movements – thanks to synthetic muscles beneath translucent skin.
Polish startup Clone Robotics has shared a terrifying new clip of Protoclone, its ‘faceless, anatomically accurate synthetic human’.
Like something from the Terminator movies, the 6-foot prototype machine hangs from the ceiling in the company’s secretive development workshop.
As ominous music plays, Protoclone twitches its limbs back and forth with its head bowed, like a puppet brought to life in a mad scientist’s lab.
Protoclone is described as ‘the world’s first bipedal, musculoskeletal android’ – one with fake bones, joints, tendons and muscles that can walk on two legs.
The firm posted the viral clip to X (Twitter), but with mixed reactions – with one describing it as ‘awesome’ and another calling it ‘spooky’.
Some social media users seemed to be disturbed by the faceless droid, with one saying: ‘Can you just draw a smiley face on the head, please?’
Polish startup Clone Robotics has shared a terrifying new clip of Protoclone, its ‘faceless, anatomically accurate synthetic human’
Protoclone is a eerily lifelike synthetic human that’s designed to mimic the natural human gait, according to the firm, packed with 500 sensors
Someone else posted: ‘It’s not human in any way, shape or form’, while another simply said: ‘We had a good run, fellow humans.’
Yet another commentator said: ‘While every normal person looks at dystopian sci-fi films as cautionary tales, nerds see them as instruction manuals.’
Clone Robotics touts the humanoid machine as bipedal – but the clip only shows it hanging from strings as it moves about frantically.
Protoclone is yet to demonstrate its walking capabilities, unlike rival bots such as Elon Musk’s Optimus and Boston Dynamics’ Atlas.
However, compared to these rivals, Protoclone arguably has a body shape more like a human, complete with realistic movements.
Other than the lack of a face, this prototype is ‘anatomically accurate’ with more than 200 degrees of freedom – in other words, 200 possible movements.
It also has 1,000 different artificial muscle fibers or myofibers and 500 sensors, giving the bot insight about its surroundings.
The prototype is powered by pneumatics, but according to the firm it is planning to switch to a hydraulics system – which uses pistons and fluid.
Some social media users seemed to be disturbed by the faceless droid, with one saying: ‘Can you just draw a smiley face on the head, please?’
Another commentator said of Protoclone: ‘It’s not human in any way, shape or form’
Protoclone has a 500 watt electric pump circulating water akin to a human heart pumping blood.
‘Pneumatics are loud and usually exceed 86 decibels whereas Clone’s water pump runs at 36 decibels without any acoustic insulation,’ the company explains.
On the outside, it has been designed to look like a fit, athletic human, with robust-looking pecs, biceps and quad muscles around the thighs.
But this seems to have stoked fears that it could overpower a human if it were let off its leash.
‘An X user said: Hanging it was a good choice. Now leave it there and never let it loose.’
Michelle Dickinson, a nanotechnologist in New Zealand, called the viral Clone Robotics clip ‘both amazing and pretty petrifying’.
‘I’m going to admit that seeing this faceless android in action has totally creeped me out,’ she said in a video posted to LinkedIn.
‘It’s made me realise how accustomed we’ve become to robots that are designed to look friendly.’
Tesla’s Optimus Gen 2 can pick up an egg without breaking the shell due to its advanced tactile senses in its fingers
Clone Robotics aims to create synthetic humans capable of independent operation in ‘complex settings’, including homes and offices.
Although still in development, these machines could pour drinks, prepare food, set the dinner table, do your laundry and vacuum your floors.
The startup was founded in Wrocław in 2021 but now has offices in California, where it’s hiring for multiple roles including technician and software engineer.
The firm tells prospective employees: ‘You will accelerate human technology by decades by joining Clone.’
‘Clone is building musculoskeletal, superintelligent androids with the most human-level hands in the world to solve the common problems of daily life.’
It’s unclear how much Protoclone would cost; MailOnline has contacted the company for more information.
