A Japanese technology startup has developed a new device to transmit full-body movements and physical strength.
H2L’s “Capsule Interface” technology aims to create immersive shared experiences between humans, robots, and avatars, opening new remote interaction and collaboration possibilities.
Like a massage chair, the advanced control system transforms the user’s body into a remote interface for operating a humanoid robot. The Tokyo-based company has released a short video showcasing the new system’s functions.
In May 2025, Stanford and Simon Fraser universities researchers
developed
TWIST, an AI system enabling humanoid robots to accurately mimic human movements in real time.
Embodied remote control
In the clip shared by H2L, a woman
remotely
controls a Unitree Robotics H1 humanoid robot using the Capsule Interface.
The robot’s activities demonstrate the system’s capacity to communicate precise body movements and strength, including cleaning, lifting a box, and interacting with another person.
H2L uses sophisticated muscle displacement sensors in its Capsule Interface to identify even the smallest changes in muscle tension. The technology records a user’s physical intent and applied force in real time by monitoring even the smallest changes in muscle movement, not only limb position.
This contrasts with conventional teleoperation, which usually relies on motion sensors to mimic user movements, such as IMUs, exoskeletons, or optical trackers.
H2L argues that motion data alone lacks the nuance needed for emotional and physical realism. While visual and positional synchronization can create a basic sense of operation, they fail to replicate the forces exerted or the effort experienced during interaction.
By mapping real-time muscle activity directly onto a humanoid robot, the Capsule Interface preserves force awareness, improving haptic authenticity and a sense of embodiment.
This muscle-centric approach allows robots to more faithfully echo not just what a user does, but how hard they do it—lifting a heavy object, for instance, transmits how much effort the user feels. That feedback loop is essential; studies show empathy and immersion improve when users experience movement and force.
As H2L envisions it, teleoperation becomes more than mimicry—a truly shared, visceral interaction.
Human-machine synergy
The Capsule Interface introduces a new era of remote interaction by enabling users to transmit their full-body movements and physical force to robots or avatars while seated or lying down.
The gadget, which is outfitted with speakers, a display, and muscle displacement sensors, uses minute changes in muscle movement to communicate intent and effort in real time.
The Capsule Interface provides a low-effort, natural experience that can be incorporated into beds or chairs, unlike standard interfaces that require complicated equipment or specific training.
According to an H2L
statement
, the versatile technology has a wide range of applications. In business, users can attend meetings or handle tasks at distant locations without travel, operating humanoid
robots
from home or nearby offices.
Delivery workers can lift and carry items remotely, reducing physical strain. It also enables safe teleoperation in hazardous environments such as disaster zones.
The method helps dual-income families, the elderly, and everyday home tasks like cooking and cleaning. Agricultural robots can be controlled remotely by farmers, who can exchange knowledge to reduce labor needs.
Additionally, the interface facilitates immersive avatar communication in virtual environments, creating new opportunities in healthcare, entertainment, and education. In the future, H2L intends to add proprioceptive feedback, increasing realism and broadening the range of shared experiences between people and machines.