In the future, AI-powered humanoid robots could work in factories assembling other humanoid robots.
The idea of self-replicating robots is moving from science fiction to the real world as investors pour billions into the emerging market. Among the companies leading the charge is Texas-based Apptronik, which aims to eventually employ its Apollo humanoids to assemble other Apollo humanoids.
If that happens, PSYONIC’s Ability Hand, originally developed as a prosthetic, could have a hands-on role on the production line.
The breakthrough technology, which you might’ve seen on Shark Tank, is uniquely situated within two rapidly expanding and increasingly competitive niches. The fusion of AI-driven prosthetics and humanoid robotics could shape the future of work and even space exploration.
Aadeel Akhtar was inspired to get into prosthetics at age 7 after meeting a young girl with a missing leg using a tree branch as a crutch during a visit to Pakistan in 1994.
Early work on what would become the Ability Hand began around 2010 during Akhtar’s studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The graduate student was focused on motor control and sensory feedback at the time.
By 2013, he collaborated with Patrick Slade, a senior studying mechanical science and engineering, to enhance the design of a 3D-printed prosthetic hand. In 2014, Akhtar traveled to Ecuador , where he and his team tested an early prototype of the bionic hand on a patient. Using the prosthetic, the patient was able to make a pinch for the first time since he lost his hand 35 years prior.
PSYONIC officially launched as a startup in 2015, securing $25,000 in funding after winning first place in the Cozad New Venture Challenge.
During this era, Apptronik’s origin began as a team of roboticists at the University of Texas at Austin collaborated with NASA for the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). The Human Centered Robotics Lab’s work included development of early prototypes of NASAs Valkyrie humanoid robot for space missions. They were so inspired, the researchers founded Apptronik to develop highly adaptable robotic systems.
In the late 2010s, Apptronik experimented with exoskeletons, humanoid torsos, robotic arms, and mobility platforms. In 2020, Apptronik entered the barely existent humanoid robotics market showcasing its upper-body humanoid prototype.
In 2021, the Ability Hand became available publicly within the United States. It was the first multi-touch sensitive bionic hand on the market.
Weighing approximately 470 grams, it’s about 20 percent lighter than the average person’s hand. The hand attaches to a prosthetic socket using a quick disconnect wrist. It’s controlled by muscle signals from the user’s arm using EMG sensors. With its integrated sensors, the Ability Hands detects pressure during object manipulation, providing feedback to the user.
All five fingers can flex and extend, with the thumb capable of both electrical and manual rotation. Each finger is designed to withstand blunt force impacts. It’s also resistant to spills and splashes but can’t be fully submerged like a human hand. Its closing speed of 200 milliseconds makes it the fastest byyonnick hand on the market. It takes just an hour to fully charge the hand via USB-C for 6 to 8 hours of use.
It earned the founder a spot on MIT Technology Review’s global list of 35 innovators under the age of 35 that same year. By 2022, NASA and Meta started using the Ability Hand for robotics research.
Apptronik was also on a tear, building a fully electric humanoid prototype in under 12 weeks. This was before Tesla introduced its first Optimus humanoid robot prototype.
As both PSYONIC and Apptronik garnered new levels of exposure in 2023, their paths merged. During the IEEE Robotics and Automation conference, they showcased the Ability Hand’s integration with Apollo.
PSYONIC appeared on Shark Tank in 2024, receiving a $1 million offer from Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and Kevin O’Leary. Around the same time, Apptronnik was piloting its Apollo humanoids with Mercedes-Benz.
Apptronik collaborated with argodesign for the humanoid’s aesthetics. They initially pitched Apollo as the iPhone of humanoid robots. Standing 1.7 meters (5 feet 9 inches), Apollo weighs 73 kg (160 lbs). Apollo robots operate for roughly 4 hours on a single swappable battery pack.
It can lift up to 25 kg (55 lbs), which suits it for manual tasks in factories, warehouses, and eventually households. Apptronik says the robot’s unique force control architecture ensures safe operation around humans, similar to industrial cobots.
After securing $350 million in Series A funding backed by Google, B Capital, and Capital Factory, Apptronik is moving toward mass production. The company is partnering with Jabil, a global manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain services provider.
As part of the agreement, newly manufactured Apollo robots will perform tasks on Jabil sites including inspections, sorting, kitting, lineside delivery, fixture placement, and sub-assembly. If that proves successful, the robots will head to Jabils customer sites.
At the same time, Jabil will work with Apptronik to scale production of its humanoids at its facilities. They’re hoping the effort culminates in Apollo robots building other Apollo robots on the production line.
They’re racing ahead as competition heats up daily.
In the United States, Apptronik is up against Silicon Valley startup Figure AI, which says its new self-developed AI system called Helix is a breakthrough that enables the mass deployment of autonomous humanoids in industry and households.
Agility Robotics, which emerged from Oregon State University, is producing humanoids from its factory as it develops the next-generation version of its flagship robot, Digit. Tesla plans to manufacture up to 10,000 Optimus humanoid robots by the end of 2025, but Elon Musk has admitted the target is aspirational.
A slew of AI-driven humanoids are also emerging from China, where President Xi has called for scaling production of the robots in 2025 and ruling the emerging market by 2027.
PSYONIC featured Apollo prominently when it introduced the latest iteration of the Ability Hand. The startup says the new and improved hand features a tougher build and touchscreen-ready design. They call the Ability Hand more durable and adaptable than ever for both humans and robots. That means someone with an Ability Hand could one day lend their Apollo humanoid a hand, literally.
PSYONIC’s dual market strategy puts it in a powerful but challenging position. If it can scale effectively and keep innovating, the Ability Hand could become a go to brand for both prosthetic and robotic hands.
But competition will only intensify on both fronts.