Nigerian-American biomechanical engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has released a demonstration video of HaloBraid, a robotic system developed to help hairstylists with braiding.
In July, Ogunbiyi secured $7 million in seed funding to bring the technology to market. She developed the robot in collaboration with David Afolabi.
Ogunbiyi said the idea emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic after she spent four days installing her own protective knotless braids. The experience prompted her to explore how technology could simplify the time-consuming process, leading to the development of HaloBraid.
She described the device as a “cobot”, meaning a collaborative robot designed to work alongside hairstylists rather than replace them. The system performs repetitive weaving tasks, helping to shorten braiding time and reduce the physical demands on professionals.
In an Instagram post, Ogunbiyi shared a video showing how the robot helps complete the braiding process.
The robot could be seen finishing each braid after the stylist had started it by hand, helping stylists complete the process “five times faster”.
“Meet HaloBraid. The first ever look at the viral hair braid assist device. @halo.braid speeds up braid appointments by helping stylists finish braids five times faster, flawlessly and gently. Each braid is started by hand, and finished by Halo, empowering stylists to double their business. It’s about time (we shared a demo),” the accompanying caption reads.