From: mk_thisisit
A Polish engineering team has been developing the world’s first biomimetic robot, aiming to create a machine that imitates the soft tissues of a human being. They refer to their creation as a “clone” or synthetic human [00:01:05]. The ultimate goal is for the robot’s work to be indistinguishable from that of living people [00:00:02].
Design Philosophy: Copying Nature
The core philosophy behind this biomimetic robot is to faithfully reproduce nature [00:02:26]. The developers emphasize that human evolution has created a marvelously efficient and versatile “machine” that no current artificial machine can compete with [00:00:18]. To achieve this, their robot is designed to reflect the biomechanics of the human body from the deepest tissues—bones, muscles, ligaments, fascia, and skin [00:00:09].
To understand human anatomy, the engineers have made numerous visits to the mortuary (approximately 20 times over 10 years) to meticulously observe how the human body is built [00:01:15]. This direct study allows them to reproduce human structures using artificial materials [00:01:30]. An anatomist is employed full-time to aid in the design process [00:10:19].
Human Body as a Blueprint
The developers found that the human body’s intricate design, such as the shape of bones guiding muscles and tendons, or fascia guiding tendons at specific angles, is crucial for proper function. Simply replicating parts without understanding their interconnectedness does not work [00:02:53]. When faced with a design challenge, they consistently find solutions by referring to human anatomy [00:05:21].
Material Composition and Internal Systems
The robot is constructed primarily from polymers, which are light, easily processable, and cheap [00:05:38]. The average density of the robot is similar to that of water [00:05:48]. Notably, the robot is almost entirely metal-free, with only a small copper valve and some cabling containing metal [00:05:59]. This contrasts sharply with many other robots that use rigid external exoskeletons or heavy metal components [00:25:34].
Key Anatomical Mimicry:
- Bones: The robot uses an artificial skeleton, with bones connected by ligaments rather than mechanical hinges, replicating the natural cartilages, bursae, and menisci found in human joints [00:04:55].
- Muscles and Tendons: It features artificial muscles that transfer drive to bones using tendons, guided by structures analogous to human retinacula sheaths [00:02:49].
- Skin and Soft Tissues: The robot has an elastomeric skin and all soft tissues, including fat, which allows for natural hand movements like tightening into balls rather than cylinders, and accommodating dislocated-looking finger joints [00:03:26]. The skin is designed to be soft and the muscles visible beneath it, making it identical to the touch [00:07:59].
- Circulatory System: The robot mimics the human circulatory system with high and low pressure lines (aorta and veins) containing a fluid, which will eventually be water [00:04:39].
- Nervous System: It has a nervous system, with a main computer (brain) located in the skull and custom electronics distributed throughout the body similar to a spinal cord [00:04:49].
- Internal Organs (for energy): The robot includes simulated internal organs like a stomach, heart, and lungs, which are used to generate and store energy. The stomach is designed for chemical reactions that produce flammable gases, which are then fed to a heart-shaped diaphragm pump to convert gas pressure into water pressure. The lungs store excess gas [00:12:28]. This allows for energy generation from processing “garbage” or chemical sources [00:13:35].
Proprietary Valves
The team developed its own proprietary proportional valves. These valves are crucial control elements connecting the brain and muscles, allowing for precise control over fluid flow from zero to 100% using electrical signals [00:10:44]. They offer high flow rates, necessary for fast operation, especially with water [00:11:30].
Development and Progress
The project began about 10 years ago, with the first 9 years dedicated to developing the hand and forearm, which faithfully reflected human movements [00:09:34]. The hand was chosen as the starting point because it is the main tool for a robot’s interaction with the environment [00:09:10]. The principles developed for the hand—how to create bones, connect them, create muscles, lead tendons, and connect muscles to bones—were then scaled very quickly to the entire human form using anatomical atlases and mortuary visits [00:09:51].
While the robot is currently fully controllable by an external computer, it does not yet possess an autonomous brain [00:16:30]. The development of artificial intelligence and neural networks for the robot’s “brain” is planned and underway [00:16:49]. Current demonstrations rely on teleoperation or pre-written sequences of muscle activation [00:16:59].
The company, Clone, has headquarters in Poland for technical development and R&D, and a new US headquarters (established Summer 2024) for the brain development [00:17:26]. The robot received its first legs in early 2024, and programming them for natural walking is in progress using physical simulators and neural networks [00:18:41]. Unlike other robots with a “duck gait,” the Clone’s leg design is adapted for natural human-like walking, even running and jumping [00:19:59].
Purpose and Applications
The primary purpose of this robot is to serve humanity, effectively replacing humans in demanding or repetitive tasks. The creator states his initial motivation came from a dislike of cleaning [00:27:30].
The robot’s capabilities would include:
- Performing household chores like cleaning, cooking, and laundry [00:15:22].
- Conducting scientific experiments [00:16:11].
- Creating new technologies [00:16:13].
- Being sent to other celestial bodies [00:16:15].
- Working in factories, especially in industries requiring manual precision that current automation cannot achieve [00:31:01].
- Entering dangerous environments like burning buildings or disaster sites [00:33:35].
- Acting as a teacher, private medic, or caregiver [00:24:37].
Vision of a Utopian Future
The developer envisions a future where robots, powered by renewable energy and capable of self-replication and repair, take over all production and labor, leading to an overproduction of goods and freeing up human time. This would allow humanity to focus on spiritual development and scientific discovery, potentially eradicating war and creating a global unity [00:34:03].
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
The team aims for such a high degree of human imitation that the robot will eventually be indistinguishable from a human, even in facial expressions [00:22:52]. The goal is to overcome the “Uncanny Valley” effect by precisely modeling all facial muscles [00:22:57]. However, they are not aiming for a complete “cloning” of a human, specifically excluding emotions or biological cells [00:24:48]. The robot’s primary purpose is functional, not emotional [00:24:15].
The developers address fears of machine rebellion by highlighting their robot’s soft, cuttable, and breakable design, making it less dangerous than rigid, metal robots [00:25:17]. They advocate for strict ethical guidelines, such as an absolute ban on the robot interacting with weapons or harming living beings [00:36:00].
Commercialization and Future Outlook
The first “Alpha clone” models, comprising 279 premium pieces, will be priced above 20,000 [00:30:30]. The team believes that with sufficient funding, progress will be exponential, aiming to finalize the robot by 2026 [00:30:43].