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Humanoid robot hands are end effectors designed to replicate the grasping, manipulation, and dexterity of the human hand. They represent one of the most challenging subsystems in humanoid robot design, requiring a combination of mechanical complexity, sensor integration, and intelligent control to handle everyday objects.
As of 2026, 120 humanoid robots feature documented hand or gripper systems. Hand designs range from simple two-finger grippers to fully dexterous five-finger hands with over 20 degrees of freedom per hand. The field has advanced rapidly, with several robots now capable of manipulating small objects, operating tools, and performing assembly tasks in real factory settings.
Humanoid robot hands generally fall into several categories based on their design philosophy and intended use.
Dexterous hands attempt to replicate the full range of human hand motion, typically featuring five fingers with 10 or more degrees of freedom per hand. These hands can perform precision grasps (picking up small objects between fingertips) and power grasps (wrapping around larger objects). Examples include the Figure 02 (16 DOF per hand), XPENG IRON (22 DOF per hand), and Phoenix (21 DOF per hand).
The main challenge with dexterous hands is controlling all the joints simultaneously while maintaining stable grasps. Most dexterous hands use a combination of tendon-driven mechanisms and direct-drive motors.
Gripper-style hands use fewer fingers (typically 2-3) with simpler mechanics. They trade dexterity for reliability, grip strength, and lower cost. Robots like the Atlas (3-finger gripper) and Unitree H1 use this approach. Grippers are well suited for pick-and-place tasks in structured environments.
Some robots use unconventional hand designs optimized for specific applications:
| Hand type | Number of robots |
|---|---|
| Dexterous | 14 |
| Gripper | 5 |
| 20-dof dexterous hands with tactile sensing | 1 |
| Three-fingered dexterous grippers | 1 |
| Dexterous multi-finger | 1 |
| Ball gripper (no dexterous hands) | 1 |
| Interchangeable | 1 |
| Magic-hand dexterous end effector | 1 |
The following table lists all 120 humanoid robots with documented hand specifications, sorted by degrees of freedom per hand.
| Rank | Robot | Manufacturer | DOF per hand | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MATRIX-3 | Matrix Robotics | 27 | 5 fingers |
| 2 | Clone Alpha | Clone Robotics | 26 | N/A |
| 3 | 1X Neo | 1X | 22 | 5 fingers, dexterous |
| 4 | NEO | 1X Technologies | 22 | 5 fingers |
| 5 | NEO Gamma | 1X Technologies | 22 | N/A |
| 6 | North | Sharpa | 22 | N/A |
| 7 | Optimus Gen 3 | Tesla | 22 | N/A |
| 8 | Walker S2 | UBTECH Robotics | 22 | 5 fingers |
| 9 | XPENG IRON | XPENG Robotics | 22 | 5 fingers, dexterous |
| 10 | Agile One | Agile Robots SE | 21 | 5 fingers |
| 11 | Phoenix | Sanctuary AI | 21 | 5 fingers, dexterous |
| 12 | Figure 03 | Figure | 20 | 5 fingers |
| 13 | Friday | Holiday Robotics | 20 | N/A |
| 14 | QUANTA X2 | X Square Robot | 20 | 5 fingers, 20-DoF dexterous hands with tactile sensing |
| 15 | A2 Ultra | AgiBot | 19 | N/A |
| Rank | Robot | Manufacturer | Grip force (N) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALLEX | WIRobotics | 40 |
| 2 | MenteeBot V3 | Mentee Robotics | 30 |
86 robots feature five-finger hands, the closest analog to the human hand. Among these, the most dexterous are:
| Robot | Hand DOF | Grip force (N) | Hand type |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATRIX-3 | 27 | N/A | N/A |
| 1X Neo | 22 | N/A | dexterous |
| NEO | 22 | N/A | N/A |
| Walker S2 | 22 | N/A | N/A |
| XPENG IRON | 22 | N/A | dexterous |
| Agile One | 21 | N/A | N/A |
| Phoenix | 21 | N/A | dexterous |
| Figure 03 | 20 | N/A | N/A |
| QUANTA X2 | 20 | N/A | 20-DoF dexterous hands with tactile sensing |
| RoBee | 18 | N/A | N/A |
| TORA DoubleOne | 18 | N/A | N/A |
| DexBot | 17 | N/A | N/A |
| Figure 02 | 16 | N/A | dexterous |
| ALLEX | 15 | 40 | N/A |
| Unitree G1 | 14 | N/A | Three-fingered dexterous grippers |
| Honda ASIMO | 13 | N/A | dexterous |
| Atom Max | 12 | N/A | N/A |
| HIVA Haiwa | 12 | N/A | N/A |
| HMND 01 Alpha Bipedal | 12 | N/A | N/A |
| Motion 2 | 12 | N/A | N/A |
Robot hands use several actuation methods:
Effective manipulation requires rich sensory feedback:
Hand control approaches include:
Several open problems remain in humanoid robot hand design: