Nigerian-American Engineer Unveils Hair-Braiding Robot That Works 5 Times Faster
- Yinka Ogunbiyi, a Nigerian-American biomechanical engineer with a Harvard degree, co-founded HaloBraid to tackle the physical demands of professional braiding
- The robot handles the repetitive weaving stage that accounts for roughly 80% of a stylist's physical effort during a braiding session
- HaloBraid raised US$7 million in seed funding, with over 7,000 salons already joining a waiting list for the device
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Yinka Ogunbiyi, a Nigerian-American biomechanical engineer and Harvard graduate, has caught the attention of social media users after unveiling Halo, a collaborative hair-braiding robot built to help professional stylists work significantly faster without removing the human touch from the experience.
Ogunbiyi co-founded the hair technology startup HaloBraid alongside David Afolabi. The idea grew out of a personal experience during the COVID-19 lockdown in London, when she spent four days braiding her own knotless braids inside her flat after salons shut down. That exhausting stretch prompted her to explore how technology could cut the time required for a process that typically runs between six and twelve hours per appointment.
Source: UGC
How Halo works alongside stylists
Halo is not designed to replace hairstylists. Instead, it takes over the middle portion of the braiding process, the repetitive weaving motion that the company says accounts for around 80% of the physical effort involved. A stylist still parts and sections the hair and creates the anchor knot that starts each braid. Once the robot completes the automated weaving, the stylist steps back in to seal, trim and style the ends.
HaloBraid says the device can braid up to five times faster than human hands and cut overall appointment times by approximately half. A typical braiding session costs between US$200 and US$300 and is repeated every six to eight weeks, making efficiency a significant concern for both stylists and clients.
Before building HaloBraid, Ogunbiyi had spent time working on smart kitchen appliances and Internet of Things devices, experience that informed her approach to designing a robot intended for a hands-on, client-facing environment. Addressing concerns about losing the personal feel of a salon visit, she said:
"I don't think anything will get lost from the experience. If anything, it enriches it."
Her broader motivation was straightforward:
"Time is precious. Halo gives that time back."
HaloBraid's US$7 million funding round
The startup has raised US$7 million in seed funding, with the round led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. AlleyCorp and Bling Capital also participated. More than 7,000 professional salons have reportedly joined a waiting list ahead of the company's planned rollout through salon partnerships. No retail price for the device has been announced yet.
Watch Halo in action alongside Yinka Ogunbiyi below:
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that the US embassy reacted after a Nigerian lady made history with her million-dollar-worth innovation.
UK-based lady returns for hair salon business
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian hairstylist returned home after four years in the UK to find her salon thriving under her younger sister’s care.
The salon looked even more beautiful than when she left, moving the hairstylist to tears and prompting her to publicly thank her sister for keeping her dream alive.
Source: Legit.ng
