Jul 11, 2025
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Robotics is progressing at a great speed. With the speedy progress of technology, synthetic biology, and robotics, cloning has reached a new height. Thanks to these wonders, humanoid robots not only obey commands properly, but they now have human features as well. Recently, a US-based robotics company has unveiled a "Protoclone" that not only mimics human anatomy with muscles and bones but also has a proper vascular system that allows it to bleed when punctured. This has awestruck internet users, with both criticisms and apprehension.
Humanoid robotics is one of the most challenging sectors of robotics, but the revelation of the Protoclone marks a significant milestone in humanoid robotics. On February 19, Clone Robotics revealed an X video where it showed one faceless hanging robot clone moving its hands and legs. This robot design closely replicates the human structure, movement, and psychology. Reportedly, it features over 1,000 artificial muscles and 500 sensors to provide it with more than 200 degrees of freedom. This construction style of the robot enables the robot to perform a wide range of movements with remarkable fluidity and precision.
The trailer video is full of gloomy background music to create a terrifying atmosphere throughout. Though the initial movement of the Protoclone is not scary, the team announced that the Protoclone is equipped with a vascular system that circulates fluids throughout the body. Therefore, this robot will bleed like a human being when its synthetic skin is pierced.
This feature is kind of disturbing. It can never seem good to see a synthetic robot bleeding like a human. However, this perfectly fits the goal of the company, which was to make a robot as anatomically accurate as possible. Clone Robotics' CEO and co-founder, Dhanush Radhakrishna, highlighted this aspect by stating, "You can stab it with a fork and it will bleed out."
The introduction of the Protoclone invited different opinions from different people. On social media, they have expressed different opinions, but a lot of people have called it "pretty cool and nightmare fuel at the same time." While the life-like movements of the robot have impressed players, its bleeding ability has cut the chord.
Since this has come to light, debates regarding its ethical implications and potential applications have taken the world by storm. Some observers are happy with this clone’s human-like behavior, as they think it will make these robots more adaptive and help them to integrate seamlessly into the environment. However, others are worried about the uncanny resemblance of these robots to human beings.
As Clone robotics has been progressing and refining the Protoclone, several opportunities and challenges have been emerging. First, if one considers the positive sides of these developments, it will definitely be one of the best things to have in sectors like healthcare. These robots will form the best assistants in surgeries, and they could assist doctors or take care of patients in the post-surgery period.
However, there’s a darker side lying behind this development. The creation of robots that closely mimic human appearance and functions poses ethical questions. They will probably become the primary reasons for job displacement, privacy hacks, and the potential causes of surveillance disruption and combat. Additionally, the psychological vulnerability of these robots, like humans, is another cause of concern.
The Protoclone is immensely useful for many reasons, but it will become a great threat to people if it is used for unethical means. Now that the world is progressing toward a future where the line between robots and humans is significantly blurred, it is important to maintain the ethical use of robots.
