Harvard Alumni Invent Hair-Braiding Robot

Imagine getting intricate braids done in minutes, not hours. For millions of Americans, hair braiding is a beloved protective style, but the process is notoriously time-consuming and can even lead to physical strain for stylists. Now, thanks to the ingenuity of Harvard alumni, a groundbreaking hair-braiding robot is poised to transform the salon experience forever.

Halo Braid: Innovation in a 5,000-Year-Old Process

Meet Halo Braid, a company founded by Harvard alumni Yinka Ogunbiyi and David Afolabi. They’ve developed a patent-pending robot designed to complete braids after a stylist starts the process. This innovation recently earned them the $75,000 grand prize in the Alumni & Affiliates Open Track category at the 2025 President’s Innovation Challenge Award, hosted by the Harvard Innovation Lab.

Ogunbiyi, who has worn braids her entire life, shared the personal motivation behind the invention. “Imagine if every time you got your hair cut, it took six hours, cost two to $300 and gave your hair stylist arthritis at age 29,” she stated during the competition. She recounted braiding her own hair, a process that took four days, highlighting the immense time commitment involved for millions of Americans who get braids every eight weeks.

Faster, Better, Joyful Braiding

The Halo Braid robot, which resembles a sleek standing dryer, utilizes machine learning to deliver professional-quality braids at an astonishing five times the speed. This means stylists can serve more clients, expand their businesses, and importantly, reduce the physical toll on their hands. Ogunbiyi’s vision is clear: to make braiding “joyful, not painful.”

The technology has already been tested, successfully completing thousands of braids, including Ogunbiyi’s own. Over the past 18 months, the team has meticulously refined over 450 prototypes to ensure the robot works seamlessly with real human hair. With the prize money, Halo Braid plans to open a salon in Boston by the end of the year to pilot and scale their technology before wider manufacturing.

Transforming an Ancient Art

The impact of Halo Braid could be monumental. By saving billions of hours collectively spent on braiding each year, this innovation has the potential to completely revolutionize an industry that has remained largely unchanged for millennia. Stylists and salons interested in adopting this cutting-edge technology can already join a waitlist for its commercial availability.