Unitree Robotics has introduced the Dex5-S, a new dexterous robotic hand with 22 degrees of freedom and dimensions close to those of a human hand. The company says all 22 joints are actively controlled and backdrivable. Pricing starts at $6,500, excluding taxes and shipping.
The Dex5-S measures approximately 102 by 187 by 26 millimetres and weighs around 620 grams. Unitree has equipped the hand with 22 motors, allowing individual control of the joints across its five fingers.
The thumb has five degrees of freedom, while the index, middle and ring fingers each have four. The little finger also has five degrees of freedom, including an additional rotational axis intended to increase the range of possible grasping movements.
A notable feature of the new hand is that all joints support backdrivability. This allows an external force to move a joint through the transmission instead of the mechanism remaining rigidly locked in place. In robotic manipulation, this can help the hand accommodate contact with objects and may make it more suitable for tasks involving interaction with irregular shapes or changing forces.
Each joint also includes limit impact torque protection. According to Unitree, this is designed to protect the mechanism when a joint experiences an unexpected external load or impact.
Smaller and lighter
The Dex5-S represents a further development of Unitree’s earlier Dex5-1 hand. That model had 20 degrees of freedom, consisting of 16 active and four passive degrees, and weighed around 1.1 kilograms.
With the Dex5-S, Unitree has increased the number of actively controlled joints while reducing the overall weight to around 620 grams. The company offers both standard and Pro versions, with the Pro configuration adding tactile sensing.
The hand supports Ethernet, USB and high-speed RS-485 communication. Control frequencies of up to 1,000 Hz are possible through Ethernet or USB. Unitree specifies a peak power consumption of 200 watts and an operating voltage range of 15 to 65 volts.
The company lists a continuous load of around one kilogram and a maximum load of two kilograms. These figures describe the manufacturer’s specifications and do not yet provide a full picture of how the hand performs across different manipulation tasks.
Designed for physical AI
Dexterous hands are becoming an increasingly important component of humanoid robotics and physical AI. While locomotion has advanced rapidly, reliably manipulating objects designed for human use remains a more difficult problem.
A hand with dimensions and joint movements close to those of a human hand could be useful for teleoperation and imitation learning. Human operators can demonstrate manipulation tasks remotely, generating data that can subsequently be used to train robotic systems.
The human-scale dimensions could also make it easier for robots to interact with tools, handles, switches and other objects originally designed for people without requiring changes to the environment.
Unitree has set the starting price of the Dex5-S at $6,500, excluding taxes and shipping. Chinese reports cite a domestic starting price of RMB 39,900.
The specifications position the Dex5-S as a relatively compact platform for research and robotic manipulation. How its backdrivability, tactile sensing and 22 actively controlled joints translate into reliable manipulation outside demonstrations will depend on further testing, including grip performance, repeatability and long-term durability.
