Getting a full set of box or knotless braids has long meant spending six to twelve hours in a salon chair. That endurance test is finally meeting technology.
HaloBraid, created by Nigerian-American engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi, is billed as the world’s first patented braid-assist robot. It doesn’t replace the stylist. Instead, the professional still sections the hair, starts every braid by hand, and finishes the ends. The sleek standing device then takes over the repetitive mid-length weaving which is the part that eats up most of the time and puts the most strain on a braider’s hands and wrists.
Company claims put the speed boost at up to five times faster than manual braiding on that middle stretch. The result: appointments that once stretched across a full day can potentially shrink to half the time, while stylists face less risk of repetitive-strain injuries.
Ogunbiyi’s inspiration came during the pandemic, when she spent four days braiding her own hair at home. After hundreds of prototypes, a Harvard innovation win, and $7 million in seed funding led by Alexis Ohanian’s firm, the device is rolling out to waitlisted salons. Thousands of stylists have already signed up, drawn by the promise of serving more clients with less physical wear-and-tear.
HaloBraid works with classic individual braids across sizes, from micro to XL, and can support goddess or boho looks once the base braids are done.
It’s designed to be gentle with no excessive pulling and it Autonomously matches the pattern the stylist begins.
For an industry that has barely changed in centuries, this is a quiet revolution: same artistry, far less grind. Braids just got a serious upgrade.
In the Video below, Nigerian-American engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has shared a new look at HaloBraid, a robotic device designed to make hair braiding faster and easier.
Video Showing Yinka Ogunbiyi’s Hair Braiding Robot in Action 🎥: IG/halo.braid
The device takes over the repetitive braiding process after a hairstylist starts each braid by hand.
According to the company, HaloBraid can complete individual braids up to five times faster, potentially cutting salon appointments in half.
Developed with co-founder David Afolabi, the invention has attracted $7 million in funding and interest from over 7,000 salons worldwide.
