Ukrainian innovators tackle war's toll with AI-powered bionic knee

The company aims to create a comfortable and affordable prosthetics solution.

SYLA, a Ukrainian company developing a bionic prosthetic knee, shared its latest innovation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025.

Due to the war in Ukraine, the market for limb replacement has grown. Considering this, the company started working on an AI-powered prosthetic knee that would allow people to move more comfortably.

During our meeting at the exhibition, SYLA's COO and co-founder, Olia Synyakevych, shared that the company has been conducting extensive research into the product. The woman also spends time at clinics, talking to patients to learn their prosthetic needs.

One improvement that the company is trying to implement with AI is making the prosthetic as comfortable and natural to use as possible.

How does the AI come into play?

During our conversation, a demonstration showed how a person with a regular prosthetic walked compared with the AI bionic prosthetic.

It revealed that a regular prosthetic doesn't allow a person to bend their knee. Meanwhile, AI-powered bionic prosthetic knee movements were similar to those of an actual knee.

The company's co-founder explained that the knee is equipped with a motor that helps to bend it. But to make it more "personalized," they used AI, which can provide a wider range of motion.

Regular prosthetics come with built-in motion settings. However, they're limiting. For example, if a person with such a prosthetic wants to do boxing, they might not be able to because the leg wouldn't be able to carry such a load, making them fall.

The gait cycle, or the manner in which the person walks, includes eight phases, and the company is trying to teach its ML models to recognize them so that the leg can take the right position by how the body moves.

Out for testing in the upcoming months

With this example, Synyakevych wanted to emphasize the safety, stability, and intuitive control that this type of prosthetic could provide people with.

The model I saw during the exhibition isn't the final product. The co-founder shared that the prosthetic, made from the actual components prosthetics are usually made of, will be out for testing in a month or two.

The final product will depend on who it's made for with protective and customizable covers.

The price and availability

For now, the company is focusing on the Ukrainian market not only because of the demand but also because it would be an easier choice for development, testing, and regulations.

"We have full access to clinics with pretty good expertise and certified prosthetics. [They] have their time and they're really willing to help," shared Synyakevych.

SYLA is aiming at those who need an affordable solution. The company is still figuring out the end cost of the product in Ukraine, but it was shared that in the US, the prosthetic could cost around $30,000.