Black Harvard Innovator Creates Revolutionary Hair-Braiding Robot
A new invention from the Harvard Innovation Lab could revolutionize the hair braiding experience, reducing a process that often takes hours down to mere minutes.
Halo Braid, winner of the 2025 President’s Innovation Challenge Award, is the first robot designed to finish braids after a stylist begins them. The patent-pending device, which looks like a standing salon dryer, uses machine learning to create professional-quality braids at five times the speed of human hands. This innovation aims to help stylists expand their businesses while reducing the physical strain of braiding.
For thousands of years, braids have been a popular and protective style across many cultures. However, the process remains time-consuming and costly. Halo Braid intends to change that.
“It will make braiding joyful, not painful,” said creator Bukiwe Ogunbiyi in an interview.
Over the past 18 months, the team developed more than 450 prototypes to perfect the robot’s ability to work with real human hair. The device has already been tested successfully, completing thousands of braids, including on Ogunbiyi herself. The innovation promises a future where getting braids is faster and more accessible for everyone.
