Redefining Human.

PSYONIC is redefining what it means to be human through advances in biointegrated technologies. We achieve this not only by making scientific breakthroughs in bionic prosthetic devices, but by also making them accessible to more people than ever before. In the next ten years, we expect our devices to seamlessly integrate with the human neuromuscular system.

PSYONIC Founder & CEO Aadeel Akhtar

PSYONIC Founder & CEO Aadeel Akhtar

 

A long-term vision.

Our founder and CEO, Dr. Aadeel Akhtar, was seven years old when he first started thinking about prosthetics and imagining what it would mean to help people with limb differences unleash the best in themselves. While visiting Pakistan with his parents, he met an amputee for the first time. She was his age and didn’t have the same access to healthcare that he did. 

It was striking, even to a kid. How could they share a heritage but have such different lives? As he grew older, he came to understand the vast discrepancies in resources that people have around the world and right here in the United States. And so he started PSYONIC while in college to help develop advanced prostheses that are affordable for everyone.

What began as a small group of University of Illinois engineers has grown to include engineers, public health experts, social workers, and designers – along with an incredible group of doctors, clinicians, and non-profits working in the developing world.

Join our bionic revolution. Learn about investment opportunities.

Meet The Team

 

Awards.

mittr.png

2021 MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35

mHUB.png

2020 mHUB Product of the Year

NSFSBIR.png

2020 NSF Phase II SBIR Grant - $937k

8vc.jpg

2019 8VC Social Innovator’s Cup Winner - $8k

NSFSBIR.png

2019 NSF Phase I SBIR Grant - $225k

2018 NSF Phase I SBIR Grant - $225k

tec.png

2016 Illinois Innovation Prize - $20k

forbes30.jpg

2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare

2015-2016 iVenture Accelerator - $10k


venturewell.png

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

 
 

Patents.

  1. A. Akhtar, J. Austin, D. Bala, V. Wilson. A system and method for an artificial tendon-driven prosthesis. U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 63,148,378. 11 Feb 2021.

  2. A. Akhtar, J. Austin, J. Cornman, D. Bala, Z. Wang. System and method for an advanced prosthetic hand. U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 62,904,483. 23 Sep 2019. [link]

  3. J. Cornman, A. Akhtar. System and method for a prosthetic hand having sensored brushless motors. U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 62,826,981. 29 Mar 2019. [link]

  4. A. Akhtar, T. Bretl, K. Y. Choi. A compliant four-bar linkage mechanism for a robotic finger. U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 62,663,820. 27 Apr 2018. [link]

Publications.

* These authors contributed equally

  1. A. Akhtar. 3D-printing hands that feel. GetMobile: Mobile Computing and Communications, 2021. [doi] [pdf] [cover]

  2. X. Yu, Z. Xie, Y. Yu, J. Lee, A. Vasquez-Guarardo, H. Luan, J. Ruban, X. Ning, A. Akhtar, D. Li, B. Ji, Y. Liu, R. Sun, J. Cao, Q. Huo, Y. Zhong, C. Lee, S. Kim, P. Gutruf, C. Zhang, Y. Xue, Q. Guo, A. Chempakasseril, P. Tian, W. Lu, J. Jeong, Y. Yu, J. Cornman, C. Tan, B. Kim, K. Lee, X. Feng, Y. Huang, J. Rogers. Skin-integrated wireless haptic interfaces for virtual and augmented reality. Nature, 2019. [doi] [pdf]

  3. L. Tian*, B. Zimmerman*, A. Akhtar*, K. Yu*, M. Moore, J. Wu, R. Larson, J. Lee, J. Li, Y. Liu, B. Metzger, S. Qu, X. Guo, K. Mathewson, J. Fan, J. Cornman, M. Fatina, Z. Xie, Y. Ma, J. Zhang, F. Dolcos, M. Fabiani, G. Gratton, T. Bretl, L. Hargrove, P. Braun, Y. Huang, J. Rogers.  Large area, MRI-compatible epidermal electronic interfaces for prosthetic control and cognitive monitoring. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2019. [doi] [pdf]

  4. A. Akhtar, J. Sombeck, B. Boyce, T. Bretl. Control of perceived sensation intensity during electrotactile stimulation in response to changes in impedance. Science Robotics, 2018. [doi] [pdf]

  5. A. Akhtar, N. Aghasadeghi, L. Hargrove, T. Bretl. Estimation of distal arm joint angles from EMG and shoulder orientation for transhumeral prostheses. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 2017. [doi] [pdf]

  6. B. Xu*, A. Akhtar*, Y. Liu*, H. Chen, W. Yeo, S. Park, B. Boyce, H. Kim, J. Yu, S. Jung, Y. Zhou, J. Kim, S. Cho, Y. Huang, T. Bretl, J. Rogers. An epidermal stimulation and sensing platform for sensorimotor prosthetic control, management of lower back exertion, and electrical muscle activation. Advanced Materials, 2016. [doi] [pdf]

  7. J. Jeong, W. Yeo, A. Akhtar, J. Norton, Y. Kwack, S. Li, S. Jung, Y. Su, W. Lee, Y. Huang, W. Choi, T. Bretl, J. Rogers. Materials and optimized designs for human-machine interfaces via epidermal electronics. Advanced Materials, 2013. [doi] [pdf]

Peer-Reviewed Conference Publications.

  1. A. Akhtar, J. Cornman, J. Austin, D. Bala. Touch feedback and contact reflexes using the PSYONIC Ability Hand. Myoelectric Controls Symposium, 2020. [pdf]

  2. J. Cornman, A. Akhtar, T. Bretl. A portable, arbitrary waveform, multichannel constant current electrotactile stimulator. IEEE NER, May 2017. [doi] [pdf]

  3. K. Y. Choi, A. Akhtar, T. Bretl. A compliant four-bar linkage mechanism that makes the fingers of a prosthetic hand more impact resistant. IEEE ICRA, May 2017. [doi] [pdf]

  4. A. Akhtar, K. Y. Choi, M. Fatina, J. Cornman, E. Wu, J. Sombeck, C. Yim, P. Slade, J. Lee, J. Moore, D. Gonzales, A. Wu, G. Anderson, D. Rotter, C. Shin, T. Bretl. A low-cost, open-source, compliant hand for enabling sensorimotor control for people with transradial amputations. IEEE EMBC, Aug 2016. [doi] [pdf]

  5. J. DeGol, A. Akhtar, R. Bhargava, T. Bretl. Automatic grasp selection using a camera in a hand prosthesis. IEEE EMBC, Aug 2016. Best student paper award 3rd place. [doi] [pdf]

  6. P. Slade, A. Akhtar, M. Nguyen, T. Bretl. Tact: Design and Performance of an Open-Source, Affordable, Myoelectric Prosthetic Hand. IEEE ICRA, May 2015, pp. 6541-6546. [doi] [pdf]

  7. A. Akhtar, J. Norton, M. Kasraie, T. Bretl. Playing checkers with your mind: An interactive multiplayer hardware game platform for brain-computer interfaces. IEEE EMBC, Aug 2014, pp. 1650-1653. [doi] [pdf]

  8. A. Akhtar, M. Nguyen, L. Wan, B. Boyce, P. Slade, T. Bretl. Passive mechanical skin stretch for multiple degree-of-freedom proprioception in a hand prosthesis. EuroHaptics, June 2014, pp. 120-128. [doi] [pdf]

  9. A. Akhtar, B. Boyce, T. Bretl. The relationship between energy, phase charge, impedance, and perceived sensation in electrotactile stimulation. IEEE HAPTICS, Feb 2014, pp. 69-74. [doi] [pdf]

  10. A. Akhtar, L. J. Hargrove, T. Bretl. Prediction of distal arm joint angles from EMG and shoulder orientation for prosthesis control. IEEE EMBC, Aug 2012. [doi] [pdf]

  11. E. J. Rouse, L. J. Hargrove, A. Akhtar, T. Kuiken. Validation of methods for determining ankle stiffness during walking using the Perturberator robot. IEEE BioRob, June 2012. [doi] [pdf]

 

Conference Abstracts/Posters/Demos.

  1. A. Akhtar, K. Y. Choi, J. Cornman, W. Sun. The PSYONIC compliant, sensorized prosthetic hand. Myoelectric Controls Symposium, Aug 2017. [pdf]

  2. A. Akhtar, K. Y. Choi, J. Cornman, W. Sun, T. Bretl. A compliant, sensorized finger for a prosthetic hand. IEEE NER, May 2017. [pdf]

  3. K. Choi, A. Akhtar, T. Bretl. Multidirectional high impact resistant compliant four-bar linkage mechanism for a prosthetic hand. IEEE IROS, Oct 2016. [pdf]

  4. A. Akhtar, J. Sombeck, J. Cornman, S. Goldfinger, T. Bretl. Realtime Electrotactile Force Feedback from a Finger Prosthesis using a Low-Cost Pressure Sensor. Demo. World Haptics Conference, 2015.

  5. A. Akhtar, J. Norton, S. Beshers, T. Bretl. Improving EMG-based gesture control by using symmetric bimanual gestures. Society for Neuroscience, 2012.

  6. E. J. Rouse, A. Akhtar, L. J. Hargrove, T. Kuiken. Validation of the Perturberator robot and modulation of ankle impedance by co-contraction while standing. International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology, 2012.