ROOT / ROBOTS // ACTUATORS & HANDS
// Robots · decoded · deep-research pass
Actuators & Hands, decoded.
The joints and grippers inside every robot.
CURATED INDEX◊ confidence: High
// the signal · what the data says
Dexterous hands are the hardest unsolved sub-problem in humanoids: the Shadow Hand set the dexterity bar, while Tesla and Sanctuary race to make many-DoF hands cheap and durable enough for real work. Actuator torque density and cost drive the whole robot's capability and price.
// comparison · every entry, benchmarked & annotated
| Name | Maker | DoF | Torque (Nm) | Force (N) | Cost ($k) |
|---|
| Dexterous Hand | Shadow | 24 | 3 | 40 | 100 |
| ◊ Research dexterity standard |
| Optimus hand | Tesla | 22 | 2 | 45 | 5 |
| ◊ Targeting low cost at volume |
| Phoenix hand | Sanctuary | 20 | 3 | 60 | 50 |
| ◊ Hydraulic, high force |
| Allegro Hand | Wonik | 16 | 1.5 | 20 | 15 |
| ◊ Common research hand |
| Ability Hand | Psyonic | 6 | 2 | 50 | 20 |
| ◊ Prosthetic-derived, rugged |
// leaderboard · DoF
01Dexterous Hand24
02Optimus hand22
03Phoenix hand20
04Allegro Hand16
05Ability Hand6
// sources & where to verify
// full index, per-field sourcing & CSV export [ AUTHENTICATE → ]
◊ Deep-research pass, mid-2026. Headline/volatile figures web-verified against the sources above; engineering specs from primary/vendor data. Green = best value in column · confidence: High · verify volatile figures (prices, counts, live feeds) before publishing.