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"Used to Dream of This": Nigerian-American Engineer's Hair-Braiding Robot Excites Viewers

Published 29 Oct 2026 at 8:52 PM

by Tendani Mungoni

3 min read

Nigerian-American engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi unveiled HaloBraid, a robotic device designed to speed up hair braiding in salons
HaloBraid takes over after a stylist starts each braid by hand, and the company says it can complete braids up to five times faster
The invention has attracted $7 million in funding and drawn interest from over 7,000 salons around the world

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"five times faster": Yinka Ogunbiyi's robot speeds up salon braiding — Yinka invented HaloBraid. Image: @halo.braid/Instagram and Pulse Nigeria/Facebook
Source: UGC

Nigerian-American engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has unveiled a device that could change the hair braiding industry for ever. On 27 October 2026, she shared the first public look at HaloBraid on Instagram, giving the world a glimpse of a robotic tool built to take the strain out of salon appointments.

The video, filmed in a warmly lit indoor salon, shows a hairstylist sectioning and beginning each braid by hand before HaloBraid takes over, completing the braid at a fraction of the usual time. The atmosphere is calm and professional, with close-up shots showing just how precise the device is.

How HaloBraid works

The concept is straightforward. A stylist starts each braid manually, and the device handles the repetitive plaiting from there. According to the company, HaloBraid can complete individual braids up to five times faster than a human working alone, which could cut salon appointment times in half and allow stylists to take on significantly more clients.

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Ogunbiyi developed HaloBraid alongside co-founder David Afolabi. The pair have already secured $7 million in funding, and the device has generated interest from over 7,000 salons worldwide.

The caption on the post read:

"HaloBraid speeds up braid appointments by helping stylists finish braids five times faster, flawlessly and gently. Each braid is started by hand, and finished by Halo, empowering stylists to double their business."

View the Instagram video below:

The internet reacts to HaloBraid

People online were quick to celebrate both the invention and its inventor on her page:

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