Hardware Podcasts

230: Shark Tank, Advanced Prosthetics, and How PSYONIC's Ability Hand is Driving Accessibility for Humans and Robots Featuring PSYONIC CEO & Founder Dr. Aadeel Akhtar

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 8 Apr 2025 · 46m

What this episode covers

Dr. Aadeel Akhtar, CEO and Founder of PSYONIC, discusses the development of the Ability Hand, the world’s first touch-sensing bionic hand, and the company's mission to make advanced prosthetics accessible through Medicare coverage and the Ability Fund. He details the technical evolution from early 3D-printed prototypes to current nerve-implant interfaces and the strategic pivot from academia to commercialization after a pivotal experience in Ecuador. Akhtar also shares insights on scaling production, balancing human prosthetic and robotic applications (including NASA's Valkyrie), and his experience pitching on Shark Tank to secure investment while maintaining valuation.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
PSYONIC, NASA, Kuka, Universal Robots, Neuralink, Synchron, Phantom Neuro, National Science Foundation, StartEngine, Loyola University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, UCSD, Range of Motion Project
Products
Ability Hand, Valkyrie
Chips
ARM Cortex M4
Also
Shark Tank

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