Nigerian-American engineer explains creation of world's first hair braiding robot

Yinka Ogunbiyi, a Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate, has created HaloBraid, a revolutionary hair braiding robot designed to address the significant time, cost, and physical toll of traditional braiding.

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Imagine if every time you got your hair cut, it took six hours, cost $200 to $300 and gave your hairstylist arthritis at age 29.

Ogunbiyi explained that the inspiration for HaloBraid stemmed from her personal experiences and observations of the hairstyling industry, which she notes has seen little innovation in 5,000 years. "Imagine if every time you got your hair cut, it took six hours, cost $200 to $300 and gave your hairstylist arthritis at age 29," she stated, highlighting the arduous nature of hair braiding.

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This is what it’s like to get your hair braided. And I know this firsthand because I’ve worn braids all my life.

She further elaborated that the process, which can take up to four days for a single person to do their own hair, is a common ordeal for millions. "Hair braiding is now the most popular hairstyle for 20 million Americans who experience this miserable process every eight weeks," Ogunbiyi said. The HaloBraid robot is designed to assist stylists, not replace them, significantly reducing braiding time from hours to minutes.

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Hair braiding is now the most popular hairstyle for 20 million Americans who experience this miserable process every eight weeks.

The device has attracted substantial investment, raising $7 million in seed funding led by Alexis Ohanian's venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, with participation from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. Over 7,000 salons have already joined the waiting list for the technology, signaling strong industry interest in this innovative solution.

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And yet braiding hasn’t seen innovation since braiding was invented 5,000 years ago.