en.Wedoany.com Reported - Norway-based 1X has introduced a new tendon-driven robotic hand for its NEO humanoid robot platform, claiming the design endows the robot with near-human levels of dexterity, strength, and tactile perception, while supporting more advanced AI-driven operational capabilities.
This new hand features 25 degrees of freedom (DoF), with 22 fully actuated joints in the fingers and palm, and 3 joints in the wrist. The system employs force-controlled, backdrivable joints designed to enhance manipulation and tactile perception. 1X states that the new hardware aims to eliminate the "hardware ceiling" that previously limited humanoid robot capabilities, enabling AI models to leverage more human-like manipulation methods.
According to the company, these hands can perform a variety of tasks, including assembling LEGO models, picking up screws and coins, installing light bulbs, using a screwdriver, rotating objects in hand, zipping up a jacket, sorting grapes, pouring tea, inserting a USB-C connector, and communicating via sign language.
These hands utilize a tendon-driven transmission design with gear ratios ranging from approximately 5:1 to 15:1, achieving force transparency that allows external forces to be directly sensed through the joints. The system also integrates high-resolution tactile sensing, capable of measuring pressure, contact location, and shear forces on the fingers.
Designed for real-world operation, these hands achieve an IP68 waterproof rating and use food-grade materials, enabling the robot to work in wet environments and self-clean. 1X states that the design has undergone millions of test cycles, aiming for continuous operation while maintaining compliance and safety during contact with people or objects.
The motors are positioned inside the robot's forearm, driving proprietary tendons through the wrist, allowing the hand to deliver high grip strength while remaining lightweight for prolonged use. The company emphasizes its vertically integrated approach, with motors, electronics, sensing systems, tendon mechanisms, and software all developed in-house.
1X added that a dedicated production line for these hands has been established, with plans to produce up to 10,000 units within this year to support the broader deployment of the NEO humanoid platform. 1X CEO and founder Bernt Børnich stated that the goal is not a hand that looks impressive on paper; these hands are the result of intensive engineering focused on making humanoid robots truly useful, aiming to match or exceed human capabilities in every important dimension. He noted that with these hands, NEO has crossed a critical threshold, and the robot can now use its hands to do what humans do every day—something the entire industry has been anticipating.
