Engineering
a Better
Human Life.
Bionic Foundation advances cutting-edge research, R&D, and real-world implementation in bionics and robotics — restoring movement, independence, and possibility for people with missing limbs, mobility challenges, and spinal conditions.
prosthetics, mobility & AI
Every Person Deserves to Move Freely.
Loss of a limb, a spinal injury, or a mobility condition should not determine the limits of a person's life. Bionic Foundation exists to close the gap between what the human body can do and what it should be able to do — through rigorous research, advanced engineering, and a relentless focus on real-world outcomes for real people.
We pursue this mission across the full stack: from foundational research in neural interfaces and adaptive AI, to the design and clinical testing of prosthetic limbs, exoskeletons, and spinal support systems, to the implementation and fitting programs that ensure new technologies reach the people who need them.
About the Foundation →R&D to Implementation
Bionic Foundation doesn't just publish research — we build. Every program runs from fundamental discovery through engineering development to clinical validation and real-world deployment. Our commitment is to the outcome: a person who couldn't walk, walking. A hand that was lost, restored.
Founded in 2016 by Philip Odegard as an initiative of the Odegard Foundation, the Foundation is built to move fast from discovery to deployment — because every year of delay is a year someone lives with an unnecessary limitation.
Four Areas. One Mission.
Cutting-edge programs spanning the full breadth of human bionics — from individual fingers to complete spinal systems.
Myoelectric Arm Prosthetics
Next-generation myoelectric arms with 16-axis control and tactile feedback, enabling natural reach, grasp, and fine motor function for people with upper limb loss.
Learn more →Bionic Hand Systems
Individually actuated finger prosthetics with grip-force sensing and neural feedback, restoring the nuanced control required for everyday tasks.
Learn more →Powered Exoskeletons
Wearable powered exoskeletons enabling people with complete lower-body paralysis to stand, walk, and climb stairs under their own intentional control.
Learn more →Assistive Gait Systems
Lightweight active orthoses and adaptive walking aids for people with partial mobility — providing precisely the support needed without impeding natural movement.
Learn more →Spinal Cord Stimulation
Targeted epidural stimulation systems that reactivate dormant motor circuits below the injury level, enabling voluntary movement in people with chronic spinal cord injury.
Learn more →Cervical & Neck Support
Bionic cervical support systems for people with severe cervical instability or injury — providing stabilization while preserving and supporting remaining function.
Learn more →Neural Interface Platform
High-channel-count neural interfaces that read motor intent directly from the nervous system, enabling direct thought-to-movement control of bionic devices.
Learn more →Adaptive AI Control Systems
Real-time machine learning systems that personalize device behavior to each user's movement patterns, learning and improving continuously with use.
Learn more →News & Updates
Trial participants performing activities of daily living with the BF-7 bionic hand system achieved a 94% task completion rate — a new benchmark for upper-limb prosthetic performance.
All 12 participants in the BF-EX3 exoskeleton pilot successfully completed a 10-meter walk test — six had not taken independent steps in more than four years.
A new targeted epidural stimulation protocol enabled voluntary leg movement in five participants with chronic complete thoracic spinal cord injury, including two who had been paralyzed for over a decade.
The Foundation's high-channel neural interface for prosthetic motor control has received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA, accelerating the pathway to clinical availability.
Advancing Bionics Together
We collaborate with clinicians, researchers, engineers, and the people our work is designed to help. Reach out to learn how to get involved.
Get in Touch →