Imagine a humanoid robot that doesn’t move with stiff, jerky motions like traditional machines, but instead flexes, bends, and grips as smoothly as a human being. That’s exactly what Clone Robotics is working on — androids that use water-powered synthetic muscles to mimic the human body down to its tendons, ligaments, and bones. Recently, Clone Robotics’ co-founder and CEO Dhanush Radhakrishnan joined tech creator Anastasiia Nosova on a podcast to share the company’s journey. From early inspirations to their futuristic vision, Radhakrishnan explained how his team is bringing science fiction closer to reality.
A Bold Vision for Humanoid Robots:
Founded in 2021, Clone Robotics set out to address what Radhakrishnan calls the “lack of progress” in humanoid robotics. Instead of making small, incremental improvements to rigid machines, the company decided to reimagine how robots are built — starting with the musculoskeletal system. The idea was simple but ambitious: if androids are to truly live and work alongside humans, they must move like us. That meant creating a body powered not by motors, but by artificial muscles and fluid pressure, resulting in more natural, human-like motion.
Why Start with the Hand?
Clone’s first breakthrough came with the robotic hand, which the team built in just 18 months. The hand was chosen for a reason — it has the highest number of degrees of freedom of any body part and performs the bulk of human tasks. By designing artificial ligaments and tendon-like structures, the engineers created a robotic arm and hand that could flex and grip with lifelike accuracy. This served as the foundation for building an entire humanoid prototype within the following year.
The Secret Behind the Muscles:
At the heart of Clone Robotics’ technology is the McKibben-style artificial muscle, also called a fluidic muscle. Here’s how it works:
- A rubber tube sits inside a braided textile sleeve.
- When water (or another fluid) is pumped inside, the sleeve contracts.
- This contraction pulls on artificial bones, creating motion similar to biological muscles. Unlike rigid, motor-driven robots, this approach allows the android to bend and move fluidly, much like a living body. To keep the system running, the robots use a compact “hydraulic heart” — a pump that circulates water through the muscles. The system is closed, so it doesn’t leak. But if the robot ever runs low, it can simply be “topped up,” almost like giving it a drink of water.
From Prototype to Humanoid:
Clone Robotics’ progress has been impressive:
- In February 2025, the company unveiled its first lifelike prototype, Protoclone V1, with over 200 degrees of freedom, 1,000 synthetic myofibers, and 500 sensors to mimic human anatomy.
- By December 2025, they introduced their first full-scale humanoid robot, Clone Alpha, officially entering the humanoid robotics market.
- Their next creation, Neoclone, is already in development and promises even more advanced capabilities.
Why This Matters:
The implications of Clone’s work are huge. With lifelike motion and strength, humanoid robots could handle everyday tasks — from chopping vegetables in the kitchen to opening heavy doors in workplaces. This goes beyond industrial robotics into true android assistants that might one day share homes, hospitals, and offices with humans. It’s a reminder that the line between fiction and reality is blurring fast. What once seemed like the ghostly movements of androids in movies is now inching closer to life — powered not by wires and gears, but by something as simple and essential as water.
