Clone Robotics Hand
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Overview
Clone Robotics Hand is a biomimetic robot hand based on hydraulic artificial muscles (Myofiber) developed by Polish-American startup Clone Robotics. Developed over 8+ years of R&D, this technology takes an approach of directly replicating the anatomical structure of the human hand, unlike traditional electric motor or cable-based systems.
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Clone Robotics (Poland/USA) |
| Degrees of Freedom (DoF) | 27 (same as human hand) |
| Weight | Under 2 pounds (~900g) |
| Grip Strength | 6.8kg (15 lbs) |
| Force per Fiber | 1kg (for 3g fiber) |
| Contraction Rate | Over 30% (no load) |
| Contraction Response Time | Under 50ms |
| Production Cost | ~$2,800 |
| Durability | 650,000+ cycles (no fatigue) |
Key Significance
The most important technical significance of Clone Hand is the adoption of biomimetic hydraulic approach.
Electric/Tendon Method vs Hydraulic Method
| Characteristic | Electric/Cable Method | Clone Hydraulic Method |
|---|---|---|
| Drive Principle | Motor + gears/pulleys | Hydraulic pump + artificial muscles |
| Degrees of Freedom | 16-24 DoF | 27 DoF (same as human) |
| Backdrivability | Limited | Complete antagonistic muscle structure |
| Compliance | Hardware rigidity | Natural flexibility |
| Durability | Gear/cable wear | 650K+ cycles |
| Movement | Mechanical | Human-like |
Existing robot hands (Shadow Hand, Allegro, etc.) use electric motors and cable/tendon systems to drive fingers. While this method enables precise control, it has limitations in reproducing the natural movement and compliance of the human hand.
Clone directly mimics the antagonistic muscle structure of human muscles, where each joint operates by being pulled and relaxed by two Myofibers. This enables natural hand movement along with shock absorption and safe object manipulation.
Myofiber Technology
Operating Principle
Myofiber is Clone Robotics’ core technology - hydraulic artificial muscles. In small tube form, it contracts when water is pressurized and relaxes when depressurized.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Drive System | 500W water pump |
| Valves | 36 electro-hydraulic valves |
| Contraction Speed | Under 50ms |
| Contraction Rate | Over 30% (no load) |
| Single Fiber Force | 1kg (3g fiber) |
| Materials | Carbon fiber bones, ligament-type tethers |
| Durability | 650,000+ test cycles |
Neural Joint V2 Controller
In November 2025, Clone unveiled the Neural Joint V2 Controller. This controller uses neural networks trained on human hand movement videos to understand the motion itself rather than pre-defined commands and reproduce it.
- Training Data: Hours of human hand movement videos
- Method: Neural network-based motion generation
- Advantage: Natural motion transfer, adaptive control
Protoclone Integration
Clone Hand is integrated into Clone Robotics’ full-body android projects Protoclone V1 and Clone Alpha.
Protoclone V1 Specifications
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| Degrees of Freedom | 200+ DoF (upper body 164 DoF) |
| Myofibers | ~1,000 |
| Sensors | 500+ (4 depth cameras, 70 IMUs, 320 pressure sensors) |
| Skeleton | 206 polymer bones (mimicking human anatomy) |
| Computing | NVIDIA Jetson Thor + Cybernet model |
| Cooling | Water-based “sweat” system |
| Production Plan | 279 Alpha units (2025) |
| Target Price | ~$20,000 (2026 mass production) |
Upper Body DoF Distribution
Protoclone’s upper body 164 DoF is distributed as follows (both arms):
| Body Part | DoF | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders | 20 | Both sides combined |
| Spine | ~36 | 6 DoF/vertebra x ~6 segments |
| Wrists/Elbows | 12 | 6 DoF x both sides |
| Hands (Clone Hand) | 54 | 27 DoF x both sides |
| Total | ~122+ | Major upper body joints |
Note: 164 DoF includes minor joints beyond the main joints above
Protoclone targets household and commercial tasks (cooking, cleaning, etc.) and represents a milestone in biomimetic robotics.
Feature Summary
- Complete Biomimetic Design: Perfect reproduction of human hand’s 27 DoF
- Hydraulic Artificial Muscles: More natural movement compared to electric motors
- Antagonistic Muscle Structure: Backdrivability and compliance secured
- Excellent Durability: 650,000+ cycles (no fatigue)
- Neural Joint V2: AI-based motion learning controller
- Teleoperation: Remote manipulation support via sensor gloves
Competitor Comparison
| Characteristic | Clone Hand | Shadow Hand | Allegro Hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive Method | Hydraulic (Myofiber) | Electric motor + tendon | Electric motor |
| Degrees of Freedom | 27 DoF | 20 DoF (24 movements) | 16 DoF |
| Weight | ~900g | ~4kg | ~1.1kg |
| Compliance | High (inherent) | Medium | Medium |
| Naturalness | High | Medium | Medium |
| Price | ~$2,800 | ~$110,000+ | ~$15,000 |
Company Information
Clone Robotics was co-founded in 2021 by Dhanush Radhakrishnan (CEO) and Lukasz Kozlik (Lead Engineer). Headquarters is in Warsaw, Poland, with offices also in the US.
Kozlik posted the first prototype video on YouTube in 2019, which went viral, and after 8+ years of R&D, completed the current Myofiber technology. Manufacturing in Poland significantly reduced development and production costs compared to the US.