A start-up born to reinventing bionic prosthetics
Dr Pierre Cherrelle, founder and CEO
Axiles Bionics is a Brussels spin-off, from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, developing the newest generation robotic ankle-foot prosthesis. The start-up was born in 2019 to improve the quality of life of amputees by bringing its product into the global market.
Based on 15 years of Innoviris-supported robotics research at the BruBotics research group of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, blending advanced robotics, Artificial Intelligence and human biomechanics, Axiles Bionics developed a technology capable of recreating the unique combination of strength and flexibility of a human ankle. This unique bionic technology is capable of bringing back a natural gait and posture during daily life activities, providing high responsiveness to the person’s intention and assisting during efforts by compensating for the lost leg muscles. ‘Our bionic foot helps active amputees who want to move and to feel complete again, by compensating for the lost leg muscles during efforts’, says Pierre Cherelle, founder and CEO.
Axiles Bionics uses springs in combination with a motor in a complex mechanical system that is capable of generating this power. ‘You can compare this method with how a bow and arrow works. By shooting the arrow through the bow, the arrow flies much further than if you would throw the arrow by hand. This is due to its tension. Biomechanical studies show that muscular action in feet works in the same way’, explains Cherelle.
As a center of excellence in new bionic technologies, Axiles Bionics make next generation bionic products accessible to everyone for a better mobility, health and well-being. Their main mission is to bring peace of mind and body to their customers with innovative bionic solutions, artificial intelligence and outstanding services. Looking ahead, the company intends to develop bionic knees and exoskeletons and working on the most state-of-the-art bionic technology.
