Psyonic is a pioneering company in the field of bionic prosthetics, with a mission to make advanced prosthetic devices accessible to more people around the world. The company was founded by Dr. Aadeel Akhtar while he was a student at the University of Illinois. Akhtar’s goal for Psyonic is to develop affordable and advanced bionic prostheses that can help amputees regain functionality and improve their quality of life.
The flagship product of Psyonic is called the Ability Hand, which is a multi-articulated and sensory-enabled prosthetic hand. The Ability Hand provides amputees with a responsive and intuitive bionic hand that acts as a natural extension of their body. This advanced prosthetic hand has a lightweight design at just 490 grams, making it 20% lighter than the average human hand. The fingers are capable of flexing, extending, and rotating to provide 32 different configurable grip patterns. This allows users to complete intricate tasks and firmly grasp objects.
One of the key features that sets the Ability Hand apart from other prosthetic hands is its multi-touch sensory feedback system. There are pressure sensors embedded in the fingertips that can detect grip pressure when holding an object. This sensory information is relayed to the user via vibration motors in the prosthetic arm, enabling users to actually feel what they are grasping. This touch feedback provides greater control and responsiveness, allowing users to handle even delicate objects with precision.
In addition to sensory feedback, the Ability Hand has been designed for durability, speed, and compatibility. The fingers are impact resistant to prevent breaking and the hand itself is water resistant. With a swiftly closing speed of just 200 milliseconds, it is the fastest bionic hand available on the market. The Ability Hand is designed to be cross-compatible, meaning it can be used seamlessly with most other reputable prosthetic devices.
The electric hand is conveniently rechargeable via USB-C, with each charge providing a full day’s use. The Ability Hand also offers Bluetooth connectivity to allow for mobile app integration. This allows prosthetists to fine-tune the grips and functionality remotely through software updates. Psyonic provides continual over-the-air updates to improve performance and add new features.
By producing the Ability Hand domestically in the United States, Psyonic is able to offer quicker service and support to users. But the company’s real innovation is offering all of these advanced features and capabilities at a fraction of the cost of comparable bionic hands. By targeting a price accessible under Medicare coverage, the Ability Hand is available to a wider range of amputees.
In addition to individual amputee users, the Ability Hand is also in demand for robotics research. Its human-like capabilities make it well suited for human-machine interaction studies. Some of the leading research institutions using the Ability Hand on their robots include NASA, Meta, Apptronik, Sanctuary AI, TNO, Georgia Tech, the University of Illinois, and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. It is also being used by two finalist teams in the ANA Avatar XPRIZE competition.
Psyonic and its founder have earned numerous awards and accolades for the innovative design and social impact of the Ability Hand. Dr. Akhtar was inspired to start the company after a childhood experience meeting another child his age who was an amputee. Since founding Psyonic as a college student in 2015, Akhtar’s company has grown to an interdisciplinary team of engineers, designers, clinicians and non-profit partners committed to making advanced prosthetics globally accessible.
Awards:
- 2021 MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35
- 2020 mHUB Product of the Year
- 2020 NSF Phase II SBIR Grant – $937k
- 2019 8VC Social Innovator’s Cup Winner – $8k
- 2019 NSF Phase I SBIR Grant – $225k
- 2018 NSF Phase I SBIR Grant – $225k
- 2016 Illinois Innovation Prize – $20k
- 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare
- 2015-2016 iVenture Accelerator – $10k
- 2015-2016 VentureWell Stage I E-Team – $5k
- 2015 Cozad New Venture Competition – $15k, Samsung Research Innovation Prize
- 2015 Cozad New Venture Competition – $10k, 1st Place University-Funded Startup
After years of development, testing, and refining, the Ability Hand represents the culmination of that vision. By taking a user-centric approach focused on improving functionality, quality of life and affordability, Psyonic has created a prosthetic hand that can help users surpass perceived limitations. The Ability Hand aims to redefine what is humanly possible for amputees.
