Humanoid Robot Maker Debuts Robotic Hand for Object Manipulation

Robot Era, a Beijing-based humanoid robot startup, has debuted a dexterous robotic hand designed for everyday and industrial tasks.

The design, XHand, was demonstrated in a video released by the company, showcasing its ability to perform tasks such as packing a bag, tending to plants and even stroking a cat.

XHand was integrated into XBot-L, the company’s full-size humanoid robot for the demonstration.

In the video description, Robot Era said the hand is “exclusively” designed for embodied AI.

“Imagine a hand that can gently pet a cat, precisely hold scissors, safely handle eggs, and perform other intricate tasks just like a human. XHand is the answer!” the caption reads.

“With 12 active degrees of freedom, built-in tactile sensors, high control precision, smooth and reliable operation, and fully self-developed technology, Xhand is setting new standards in robotics.”

The sensors embedded in the hand’s fingertips allow it to gather data on the object it’s holding, helping determine its size, shape, texture and the appropriate pressure to exert on it.

Industrial use cases include factory tasks such as material handling, sorting, picking and assembling, and domestic use cases include household chores such as gardening and pet sitting.

Earlier this year, Robot Era announced it was open-sourcing its humanoid robot training software, Humanoid-Gym, to improve the accessibility of humanoid robot technology and accelerate the uptake of humanoid designs.

Related:Humanoid Robot Startup Open Sources Training Software

Humanoid-Gym uses Nvidia’s Isaac Gym to train humanoid robots in locomotion skills and is available on GitHub. The platform simplifies translating a simulation avatar to a working prototype, accelerating humanoid robots' time-to-market.