A humanoid robot without functional hands is nothing more than an expensive coat rack. After focusing on the electromechanics and physics of the robot itself—to ensure it can move stably—as well as the ongoing development of its AI-powered “brain,” which enables the robot to autonomously perceive its environment, navigate within it, and perform tasks, attention is increasingly turning to the hands themselves. This is because the hands are what allow a humanoid robot to manipulate objects and carry out tasks.
At CES 2026 in Las Vegas in January 2026, I was able to admire at least 20 models of robotic hands presented by at least a dozen manufacturers.
The demonstrations ranged from folding small windmills and controlling marionettes to dealing playing cards—after all, this was in the gamblers’ paradise of Las Vegas. The most impressive part was the robotic hands from Sharpa, a manufacturer that specializes in producing this type of precision mechanics. In a video, the Chinese company shows how many parts and which components go into the SharpaWave hand.
Depending on the task, hands are subjected to immense stress. For example, Figure.AI showed a photo of the hands of the Figure 02 robot after several months of operation at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, in which signs of wear are clearly visible.
A few months ago, 1X Technology of Palo Alto unveiled the NEO Gamma gloves, which are distinguished by their use of tendons.
The Polish company Clone Robotics takes a different design approach with its McKibben—or artificial pneumatic muscles.
The different approaches are justified by the respective advantages and disadvantages of each system, and it is interesting to highlight these.
In tendon-controlled hands, the motors are located in the forearm. Cables pull on the fingers and control them, similar to the tendons in a human hand.
In actuator-controlled hands, the actuators are located directly in the palm or in the finger segment they control.
| Type | Advantages | Challenges | Examples |
| Tendons | – Light fingers – High dexterity – Human-like flexibility | – Complex manufacturing – Complex calibration – More time-consuming maintenance – Repairs require disassembly | Tesla Optimus V3 1X NEO Agibot OmniHand Pro |
| Actuators | – Simpler control architecture – Easier assembly – Simpler maintenance and replacement | – Heavier fingers – Possibly reduced dexterity – More difficult temperature management | Figure 03 Unitree Dex5-1 Sharpa Wave ROBOTIS HX5 |
| McKibben | – very fast and very slow grasping – high load capacity – feels more human | – Complex calibration – Higher volume through compression and decompression | Clone Robotics |
None of the architectures has clearly prevailed so far, nor does any seem to be on track to gain the upper hand. Tendon-driven systems emphasize low distal mass—that is, weight located far from the torso or body—as well as human-like dexterity. In-finger actuator systems emphasize simplicity, modularity, and ease of maintenance. The real question is which architecture will prove superior once humanoid robots make the transition from prototype to mass production.
It will also be fascinating to see how robotic hands continue to evolve beyond their biological models. As the following video shows, the limitations of human hands can be skillfully overcome, leading to the development of superhuman abilities.
But we’ve completely left out one aspect that human hands also offer: the sense of touch. DXresearch.eu has created a short infographic on this topic.
There is also disagreement among the founders of humanoid robot manufacturers. Bernt Børnich, founder and CEO of 1X Technologies, commented:
Millions of cycles under load later… I hope you’ve accepted it’s a skill issue.
Figure.AI founder and CEO Brett Adcock, for his part, is quoted as saying:
The biggest engineering mistake I made at Figure was building a tendon-based hand.
Elon Musk, who is developing the Optimus with Tesla, also said:
Something like those tendons has to be re-engineered into Optimus.
Only time will tell who is right and who is wrong.
You can find out more about humanoid robots in my latest book, *HOMO SYNTHETICUS: How Humans and Machines Are Merging*. Available at all good bookstores.
