EMG-controlled prosthetics for the real world

Functional bionic hands.
Under $2,000.

CipherBionics builds CipherHand — a true myoelectric prosthetic hand engineered for emerging markets. Intent-driven control, field-serviceable, and manufacturable locally. The technology exists; we're fixing the part that doesn't — affordability.

Get in touch → See the lineage
20×
cheaper than comparable myoelectric hands
100+
hardware units shipped internationally
1.5B
people living with disability worldwide
The problem

The tech exists. Access doesn't.

Myoelectric prosthetics are a solved engineering problem in wealthy markets — and entirely out of reach almost everywhere else.

01
1.5B

Massive unmet need

People live with disability globally. Upper-limb prosthetic access across MENA is near-zero for most amputees.

02
$10k+

Price barrier

The lowest-cost functional myoelectric hands start around $10,000. For most people, the technology exists — affordability doesn't.

03
Built for
insurance

System mismatch

Existing products target insurance markets and high-cost healthcare — not local manufacture, serviceability, or NGO distribution.

Our solution

Meet CipherHand.

An EMG-controlled prosthetic hand engineered for emerging markets — under $2,000, intent-driven, serviceable, and manufacturable locally.

True myoelectric control 3D-printable design Field-repairable electronics Built for NGO distribution

Functional myoelectric hand — priceUSD

Ottobock bebionic$40,000+
Psyonic Ability Hand$15,500
Open Bionics Hero Arm$10,000+
CipherHand$2,000

Robust EMG decoding

A proven EMG pipeline detects intent from residual forearm muscles — fast open/close control with low false activations.

Designed for service

Modular fingers, replaceable actuators, and field-repairable electronics — with parts sourced from regional suppliers.

Local manufacturability

A 3D-printable design with locally sourceable components — repairable by a technician with basic tools, anywhere.

Product lineage

From a third thumb to a full hand.

CipherHand isn't a render. It stands on hardware that's already in the world — built, documented, and shipped.

● EMG-controlled third thumb
Live HexDigit demo — real hardware, not a render
Proof of concept · Live

HexDigit

The world's first openly available EMG-controlled wearable third thumb. Live on GitHub with a reproducible signal stack, and backed by Upside Down Labs — a working proof that the control pipeline holds up in the real world.

↗ GitHub ↗ Backed by Upside Down Labs
Next · In development

CipherHand

The same proven EMG decoding, scaled into a full five-finger prosthetic hand — serviceable, locally manufacturable, and priced under $2,000 for institutional and NGO channels.

→ Follow the build
Founder

Built by someone who ships.

Rahul Thareja, founder of CipherBionics, with his BSides Kerala 2025 award and EMG armband c1ph3r

Rahul Thareja

Founder & CEO — hardware engineer · cybersecurity practitioner

A self-taught EMG signal-processing engineer with a robotics background (Jetsons Robotics, IIT Kanpur–incubated). Rahul has built and shipped 10+ hardware products internationally — and now he's turning that track record toward making functional prosthetics affordable.

0
hardware products shipped
0
orders shipped globally
0
orders via Tindie
Speaker · DEF CONSpeaker · BSidesSpeaker · SeasidesPress · CNX Software

"I taught myself EMG. I printed in TPU for the first time. I built it, documented it, and gave it to the world for free. That's what happens when I put my mind to something. CipherHand is next."

— Rahul Thareja · c1ph3r

Affordable bionic hands aren't a someday problem.

If you're an NGO, rehabilitation partner, investor, or builder who wants in — let's talk.

Get in touch → cipherbionics.com