Hemlock builds an EMG bracelet that reads forearm muscle activity to measure finger force and contact, giving physical-AI teams the signal that egocentric video misses. WERZ’s launch film puts founder Julian Olschwang on camera with the bracelet on his wrist and the robot arm it trains beside him, then cuts to skilled workers at a sink, an engine and a workbench with hand-tracking and force overlays. The film closes on Hemlock’s own result: the same nine minutes of demonstrations, once as video only and once with the bracelet’s data, and a tenfold higher success rate. WERZ went from a Thursday scoping call to a wrapped two-camera shoot by Monday, mid-batch.
Hemlock is a YC F26 company building an EMG bracelet that captures how skilled workers apply force with their hands, as training data for robots. Its founder is Julian Olschwang.
Explain a new kind of data, the force behind a worker’s hands, clearly enough for a launch, without the flashy elements that dilute it.
Film the founder with the real product: the bracelet on his wrist and the robot arm it trains in frame together. Pair the interview with egocentric footage of skilled work, add hand-tracking and force overlays, and end on the measured result.
The launch film was featured in Y Combinator’s public Hemlock (YC F26) launch announcement.
A launch film for Hemlock (YC F26): founder Julian Olschwang introduces the EMG bracelet that measures finger force, shown on skilled workers and a robot arm.
