What do degrees of freedom (DoF) mean, and what is the difference between active and passive joints?

Degrees of freedom are the number of joints in the hand that can move independently. An active joint is driven by its own motor; a passive or coupled joint follows another joint mechanically. In the Wuji Hand 2, for example, each of the 20 joints is driven independently (4 active joints per finger). In the Unitree Dex5-1, 16 of the 20 degrees of freedom are active and 4 are passive. More active joints let the hand adapt to new grasps, but they also make the control and learning problem larger.

What is the difference between direct-drive, tendon and linkage designs?

In a direct-drive design the motor sits inside the joint and drives it without a gear train or cable; the joint is back-drivable, so an external force can turn it and contact stays soft. In a tendon design the motors sit in the palm or forearm and pull the joints through cables; fingers can be slim, but cable tension and wear need maintenance. In a linkage design one motor moves several joints together mechanically; the structure is robust, but the number of independent joints drops.

Which measures matter when choosing a dexterous hand?

Start with five: active degrees of freedom, weight and size (for humanoid wrists and the arm's payload limit), fingertip force, control rate and interface (Ethernet, CAN, USB, RS485), and software and simulation support (Python or C SDK, ROS 2, URDF and MJCF models). Then decide whether you need tactile sensing, and ask the manufacturer in writing for the mounting interface and the values that are not yet published (wrist load, ingress protection, lifetime).

How is a dexterous hand attached to a humanoid or a robot arm?

The mechanical connection uses a wrist flange and an adapter plate; the manufacturer's STEP file and technical drawing let the adapter be designed. On the electrical side, the power line and communication cable run along the arm. On the software side, the hand is connected through ROS 2 or the SDK so that it runs on the same timeline as the arm controller. For the Wuji Hand 2, the wrist flange, adapter and STEP drawing are published in the manufacturer's wuji-description repository; permitted wrist load and moment values have not been published yet.

Is tactile sensing needed in every project?

No. Most data collection through imitation learning and teleoperation, and most research on in-hand reorientation and grasping with reinforcement learning, run on joint position, joint current and camera data. Tactile sensors matter where a fragile object needs a force limit, slip detection or a contact map. The Wuji Hand 2 currently ships as the 2.2 (Beta) build without fingertip or skin tactile sensing; the Unitree Dex5-1P version offers 94 tactile points.

What is a data glove for?

A data glove measures the operator's hand and finger motion and transfers it to a robot hand (teleoperation); the motion and contact data recorded at the same time is used to train imitation learning and vision-language-action models. The Wuji Glove was designed for this with a 526-point tactile matrix, 5 electromagnetic pose modules and a 6-axis IMU, and it works together with the Wuji Hand 2.

Where are the Unitree hand modules listed?

Unitree's Dex1-1 gripper, Dex3-1 three-finger hand, Dex5-1 five-finger hand and the Dex5-S with 22 active degrees of freedom are on the Unitree components page and the Unitree Dex5-S page. Robotlar.org is the official distributor of Unitree Robotics in Turkey; hand selection together with the Unitree G1 and H2 is covered on those pages.

How are robot hand prices set?

The price of a dexterous hand depends on the version, the quantity (a single hand or a left and right pair), accessories, the adapter and the integration scope. Robotlar.org does not publish prices in this category; an itemised corporate quotation is prepared. You can send your project definition through the quote form.

How are lead time and sourcing planned?

For Wuji products, supply into Turkey is planned per project; the scope of import, delivery and commissioning is itemised in the quotation. The delivery schedule is stated in the quotation after confirmation from the manufacturer. If your purchasing calendar and specification are defined, we plan the process around them.

All robots

Dexterous Robot Hands

Five-finger dexterous hands for humanoids and robot arms, plus teleoperation data gloves.

Request a quote

Sort2 models · 1 brandsFilter in catalogue

2 models · 1 brandsFilter

WujiHand 2

Five-Finger Dexterous Robot Hand (Direct Drive)

0.8kg

WujiGlove

Teleoperation and Data Collection Glove

0.1kg

What Is a Dexterous Robot Hand and How Do You Choose One?

A dexterous robot hand is an end effector with a human-like finger structure that can do more than hold an object: it can turn it between the fingers and change the grasp. It mounts on a humanoid's wrist or on a robot arm's flange, and in research labs it is the physical end of imitation learning, reinforcement learning and vision-language-action model work. This page lists the Wuji Hand 2 (a fully direct-drive hand with 20 active degrees of freedom) and the Wuji Glove data glove that drives it through teleoperation.

Four measures decide the choice. First, degrees of freedom: an active joint turns with its own motor, a passive joint follows another joint; more active joints mean better adaptation to new grasps. Second, drive type: in a direct-drive design the motor sits inside the joint and the joint is back-drivable, so contact stays soft; in a tendon design the motors sit in the palm or forearm and cables pull the joints; in a linkage design one motor moves several joints together. Third, weight and interface: the humanoid wrist and the arm's payload limit set the hand's mass, and the controller sets the communication line (Ethernet, CAN, USB). Fourth, software: the SDK language, a ROS 2 package and URDF, MJCF or USD models shorten the path from simulation to the real hand.

Unitree hand modules have their own pages: the Unitree Dex5-S with 22 active degrees of freedom, the Unitree Dex5-1 with its 94-point tactile version, and the Unitree hand modules including the Dex3-1 and Dex1-1. Robotlar.org is the official distributor of Unitree Robotics in Turkey. For Wuji products, Robotlar.org provides enterprise sourcing, technical specification support and integration engineering; supply into Turkey is planned per project, and the scope of import, delivery and commissioning is itemised in the quotation. Pricing and sourcing are explained on the Wuji Hand 2 price and sourcing page.

Wuji Hand 2 and Unitree Dex5-1: published values

Measure	Wuji Hand 2	Unitree Dex5-1
Degrees of freedom	20, all active (4 per finger)	20 (16 active, 4 passive)
Drive	Fully direct drive, every axis back-drivable	Every joint back-drivable
Weight	About 800 g (with soft layer and cable), bare hand 650 g	1,100 g
Fingertip force	12 N or more (provisional)	10 N
Tactile sensing	None in the shipping 2.2 (Beta) build	94 points (Dex5-1P version)
Communication and control	Ethernet 100BASE-TX, 1000 Hz on 20 axes	1000 Hz communication
Supply	11-13 V DC	24-60 V

Sources: Wuji Hand 2.2 (Beta) documentation (docs.wuji.tech) and the Unitree Dex5-1 product page, 13 November 2026. Wuji states that the Hand 2 documentation describes a Beta build that is not final; wrist load, ingress protection and lifetime values are not in this table for either hand.