Alt-Bionics: High-Performance Hands Without the High Price with Ryan Saavedra of Alt-Bionics

In this talk

1. 0:11

   Designing from human needs

   Saavedra says his hand injury in 2017 led him to explore prosthetics and start the company. User research showed that a six degree of freedom hand with three main grip patterns could support many daily tasks. He argues that studying how people adapt to hand limitations can guide robot hand design better than simply copying human anatomy.

2. 4:36

   Bringing prosthetics and robotics together

   Saavedra describes a two-way exchange: prosthetics research helps with everyday tasks, while robotics brings requirements such as repeatedly handling tools and sheet metal. He says an amputee using a sander with a teleoperation glove demonstrated how people naturally operate the hand. He estimates that useful hand-building knowledge is split between prosthetics and robotics.

3. 6:06

   Keeping manufacturing costs down

   The company designed for manufacturing from the outset and uses MJF 3D printing for parts that can move from prototype to product. Saavedra says this lets the team revise a finger design and deliver an updated hand in about two weeks, avoiding costly tooling changes. He also credits widely available motors and supplier relationships with helping control prices.

4. 8:34

   Making repairs quick and predictable

   Saavedra says the hands use replaceable finger modules, so a damaged part can be swapped in seconds instead of sending the whole hand away for repair. That can reduce robot downtime and the support team's troubleshooting work. He also describes testing more than 10,000 grip variations to find practical ways to perform everyday tasks.

5. 14:14

   Products, prices, and mechanics

   Genesis is a six degree of freedom prosthetic hand weighing 454 grams, with muscle signal LEDs, a standard prosthetic wrist connection, and a companion phone app. Saavedra gives approximate prices of $5,000 for the prosthetic model, $7,000 for the robotics model, and $8,000 for a sensor-equipped engineering sample. Surge is the robotics hand; he says it closes in 400 milliseconds and can lift 40 pounds. Its geared mechanism and linked passive distal joints are intended to make repairs easier than a tendon-only design.