Bionikle
A low-cost, high-feature bionic ankle.
Bionikle is an affordable powered bionic ankle built on 3D printing, on-device AI, and custom real-time control, bringing capable, adaptive mobility within reach.
Overview
Mobility, re-engineered from the ground up
Bionikle is a powered bionic ankle that adapts to how you move. Onboard sensing reads your gait in real time, an AI classifier recognises what you're doing (walking, climbing stairs, descending) and a custom controller drives the joint with the right motion, instantly.
Built around accessible 3D-printed hardware and off-the-shelf actuation, Bionikle targets a fraction of the cost of conventional powered prosthetics without giving up responsiveness or safety.
Manufacturable hardware that keeps cost low and iteration fast.
Real-time gait classification reacts to how you actually move.
Finite-state control with continuous safety verification.
How it works
How Bionikle thinks and moves
From raw motion to actuated joint, every cycle runs on-device in real time.
Data flow runs in sequence: IMU Sensing then AI Classifier then State Machine then Actuation then Safety Loop, with the safety encoder feeding back to the state machine.
- 01
IMU Sensing
Motion data streamed from an onboard inertial unit.
- 02
AI Classifier
An SVC model labels the locomotion mode: walk, stairs-up, or stairs-down.
- 03
State Machine
A finite-state controller selects the right joint trajectory for the moment.
- 04
Actuation
A high-torque TMotor AK80-9 drives the ankle joint over the CAN bus.
- 05
Safety Loop
A magnetic encoder verifies position continuously to keep motion safe.
real-time · on-device · closed-loop
Hardware
Built on accessible hardware
Capable parts, chosen so the whole system stays affordable and repairable.
Raspberry Pi
Runs sensing, AI, and control on-device, with no cloud and no latency.
TMotor AK80-9
High-torque quasi-direct-drive joint over a 1 Mbps CAN bus.
AS5600 Magnetic
Absolute joint feedback for continuous safety checks.
3D-Printed Frame
Lightweight, low-cost, and fast to iterate on.
Gallery
Renders & gallery
Concept renders and build photos. (Drop your files into /public/renders/.)
Team
The team
The people building Bionikle.
Angelo Yaghi
Mechatronics Engineer
Lea Babi
Mechatronics Engineer
Fadi Kaafarani
Mechatronics Engineer
Dr. Noel Maalouf
Project Supervisor
Contact
Get in touch
Questions, collaboration, or just curious? Reach out.
Final-Year Engineering Project
Your University, Department of Engineering