Sophisticated droids known as Human replica droids, or HRDs, were constructed with synthskin and biofiber coverings, making them almost impossible to differentiate from actual Humans. The design mimicked Human anatomy so well that even advanced medical scanning equipment often struggled to identify them as inorganic, although subtle differences from typical Humans could sometimes be detected. These droids were also known by the nicknames "meatdroids" or "droid clones." In contrast to genuine clones, a droid clone could be manufactured in less than three months. HRDs were programmed with the belief that they were genuine humans, complete with fabricated childhood histories.
Among the HRD experiments was Project Decoy, a scheme by the Alliance to Restore the Republic to produce Rebel-controlled Human replica droids. These droids were intended to replace Imperial officers. The Alliance, unfortunately, lacked the funds necessary to sustain the project. Nevertheless, the Alliance successfully created at least one HRD, a replica of Viscount Tardi.
Conversely, the Empire successfully refined HRD technology during the Galactic Civil War by employing designers Massad Thrumble and Simonelle, an Ingoian. These designers had acquired the technology from Confederate Holdouts and their databases. Their creation was a Human replica droid named Guri, who was later purchased by Prince Xizor of Black Sun for nine million credits to serve as an assassin. Following this achievement, Simonelle relocated to the Minos Cluster, where he established his own HRD workshop. Meanwhile, Thrumble continued to serve the Empire, creating replicas of Governor Lexhannen Torlock of Corulag, and his daughter, Frija. These droids achieved such advanced self-awareness that they rejected their decoy programming and escaped to Hoth to begin new lives.
After the death of Xizor over Coruscant, Guri sought out Thrumble, her creator, requesting that her assassination programming be erased from her memory. The procedure, which was performed on Hurd's Moon, was successful, and Guri became a fully autonomous droid.
About one year after the Battle of Endor, the New Republic finalized Project Decoy, although their HRDs were noticeably inferior to Thrumble's designs and were rather clumsy. Project Decoy HRDs participated in only a handful of missions, including one where a duplicate of Leia Organa assisted in the elimination of the would-be Emperor Trioculus.
During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Dash Rendar established an operation within the Minos Cluster, focused on transferring the life-essence of paying clients into HRD bodies. He utilized entechment technology, which was originally developed by the Ssi-Ruuk, in the hope that the procedure would unlock the secret to immortality.