Dr. Aadeel Akhtar (Psyonic) | Bionic Hands, Humanoid Robotics & Life-Changing AI

In this talk

1. 0:51

   One hand for people and robots

   Psyonic’s Ability Hand bends and straightens all five fingers, with a rotating thumb. First developed as a prosthesis, it is FDA-registered, Medicare-covered, and used by more than 200 people in the U.S. Akhtar says the company began adapting it for robotics because robots doing human tasks need capable hands.

2. 2:25

   Building for safety and durability

   Akhtar emphasizes flexible, resilient fingers that conform to objects and reduce the risk of squeezing too hard. Pressure sensors in the fingertips send touch feedback through vibration, helping users detect contact; one user, Army Sergeant Garrett Anderson, said it let him feel his daughter’s hand. After early 3D-printed versions broke easily, the team used silicone and rubber molded with 3D-printed forms to make the fingers more durable.

3. 5:51

   Prosthetic control and robotic integration

   For prosthetic use, clinicians fit a socket to the person’s residual limb, with muscle sensors controlling preset grips. Users have applied the hand to daily tasks, weightlifting, golf, and paragliding. Psyonic also offers an API for motor position, speed, and torque, plus touch data over Bluetooth or USB; Akhtar says NASA uses the hand on its Valkyrie humanoid for teleoperation.

4. 11:00

   Company growth and next steps

   Akhtar says a visit to Pakistan at age seven, where he met a woman using a branch as a crutch, inspired his work on bionic limbs. Psyonic grew from seven people after moving to San Diego to about 30, and raised a $1.4 million pre-seed round and a $4.1 million seed round through equity crowdfunding. For 2025, the team planned to add palm sensing and explore finger spreading, wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles.