Torso Clone Robotics
#9 in Robots and Devices
« A humanoid robot dedicated to AI research. Explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence with this robotic torso featuring muscles and precise manipulation capabilities »
Clone Robotics Torso: an android upper body flexing 910 artificial muscle fibers
Torso is the android upper body built by Clone Robotics, a Polish-American robotics company based in Wrocław: two arms, a spine and fully jointed shoulders, all driven by water-filled synthetic muscles instead of motors. Nothing is for sale yet, this is a research prototype. Its second version packs 910 muscle fibers, 164 degrees of freedom and 182 sensors under transparent skin. Its full-body successor, Protoclone, went viral shortly after being revealed.
Pros
- Fluid motion modeled on human anatomy
- Silent artificial muscles, no servo whine
- Two-handed manipulation shown on video
- Shoulders replicating all four human joints
Cons
- Research prototype, nothing to buy yet
- Movements still jerky in published demos
- Long-term roadmap remains partly unproven
Water pressure where the motors used to be
Every muscle in the Torso is a mesh tube wrapped around a soft bladder: when onboard pumps push water into it, the fiber contracts like a real bicep. This biomimetics approach shapes the whole design: Clone Robotics copied human anatomy first, an actuated elbow, a cervical spine, shoulders with their four joints, then worked out the movements afterwards.
The footage is genuinely startling. The torso holds a jar in one hand and unscrews the lid with the other, without the usual whirring of industrial arms (the silence, honestly, makes it eerier, consider yourself warned).
Official demo of the bimanual Torso and its artificial muscles
TechCrunch's look at Torso 2 and its 910 muscle fibers
Torso 2: more fibers, an actuated abdomen, see-through skin
Since then, the machine has grown a waistline, literally. Torso 2 counts 910 muscle fibers, 164 degrees of freedom and an actuated lumbar spine: the trunk bends and twists, with moving hands, wrists and fingers. The table below places each step of the project.
| Machine | What it brought | Key figures |
|---|---|---|
| Clone Hand | Robotic hand, rotating thumb, ball catching | 37 hydraulic muscles, 7 kg lifted |
| Torso | First bimanual trunk, actuated elbow and neck | White skin, battery-powered pumps |
| Torso 2 | Actuated abdomen, transparent skin | 910 fibers, 164 degrees of freedom, 182 sensors |
| Protoclone V1 | Full android, legs included | 1,000+ Myofibers, 206 bones, 500 sensors |
Buying a Clone robot: the road to Clone Alpha
The Torso itself is not for sale: it works as a test bed for Clone Alpha, a planned home android limited to 279 units, with reservations open on the official site and no confirmed price. Figures floating around online, from $20,000 to over $200,000, are unverified: treat the reservation page as the only source that counts once pricing goes public.
The team keeps growing too, with a co-founder of NVIDIA's Isaac Gym joining as chief scientist. Against the motor-driven humanoids from Figure AI or Tesla, Clone bets on anatomy, a route watched closely among upcoming AI technology.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy the Clone Robotics Torso?
No, the Torso is a research prototype and is not sold. Clone Robotics takes reservations for Clone Alpha, a full android limited to 279 units, but no price has been confirmed publicly and no unit has shipped so far.
Are Clone Robotics videos real or CGI?
Real: the Protoclone filmed hanging from the ceiling does exist, and specialist outlets have covered it extensively. The robot cannot yet walk on its own, hence the suspension cables, and its movements remain partly jerky in the published clips.
How do the Myofiber artificial muscles work?
Each Myofiber pairs a mesh tube with a bladder inflated by pressurized fluid: the fiber then contracts like a natural muscle. On Protoclone, a 500-watt electric pump circulates up to 40 liters per minute, and the robot even sweats water to cool itself down.
What could a robot like Torso actually do?
Clone Robotics points to industrial assembly lines, household chores for the future Clone Alpha, and medical rehabilitation: through teleoperation, a recovering patient could guide the robotic hand remotely to retrain movement after an injury.
Verdict: 910 fibers contracting in near silence: researchers, robotics teachers and biomimetics fans have here the most anatomical project to follow while Clone Alpha makes its way out of the lab.
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