How do I choose a hand or gripper for a Unitree humanoid?

Start from the job. To carry and move rigid things, a two-finger gripper is the simplest and lowest-cost option. To handle objects made for people, such as cups and handles, choose a five-finger hand with six motors. For research into finger dexterity, choose a hand with 16 or more motors. Add touch sensing if you handle fragile things or train AI on touch data. Then check that the hand fits your robot, because hands are built for specific models.

What does DoF mean on a robot hand?

DoF stands for degrees of freedom, the number of separate motions a hand can make. In practice it is the number of motors. A gripper has one, many five-finger hands have six, and research hands have 16 to 22. A spec sheet may also list joints: a hand with 6 DoF and 11 joints has 6 driven joints and 5 that simply follow.

What does a repeatability of 0.1 degrees mean?

It means that if a joint is sent back to the same position repeatedly, it lands within about a tenth of a degree each time. On a 10 cm finger that is about 0.17 mm at the fingertip, less than the thickness of two sheets of paper. Makers quote repeatability in different units, degrees at the joint or millimeters at the fingertip, so the numbers are not directly comparable. For most grasping it will not decide your choice.

Which hands fit which Unitree robots?

The Dex1-1 gripper, Dex3-1 and BrainCo Revo 2 fit the widest range: G1, G1-D, H2 and R1. The Inspire DFQ and E2 and the Wuji Hand 2 fit the G1 and H2. The tendon-driven hand fits the G1 and R1, and the LinkerBot O6 fits the R1. The Dex5-1, BrainCo Revo 3 and SharpaWave are for the H2 only. R1-A5 and R1-A7 dual-arm robots come with hands as factory-fitted editions.

Can I add hands to a robot I already own?

Sometimes. The Dex1-1 gripper can be bought separately and you fit it yourself with the instructions provided. Several H2 hands, including the Dex3-1 and Inspire models, are ordered together with the robot rather than as add-ons. Tell us which robot and edition you have and we will confirm what is possible before you order.

Are prices per hand or per pair?

Hand prices are per hand. A humanoid normally takes two, and you specify left and right when ordering. The configurator shows both the per-hand and the pair price. Editions of each robot that come with hands fitted already include a pair.

Do hands need a particular robot edition?

Hands are normally chosen with a programmable edition such as G1 EDU, H2 EDU or Plus, or R1 EDU, because using a hand to do useful work requires software control. Some H2 Plus hand options, the Revo 3 versions with the SHF3L camera and the SharpaWave, also require the NVIDIA Jetson Thor board. A RobotLAB specialist confirms compatibility before anything is ordered.

Humanoid Hands Configurator: Unitree Grippers & Dexterous Hands

Every hand at a glance

Compare every hand and gripper.

One row per hand. Tap a column heading for a plain-language explanation of the term.

Hand	Fingers	per hand				Fits	Per hand
Dex1-1 gripper, Standard	2 fingers	1	None	Not published	Adjustable 5 to 120 N	G1, G1-D, R1	$380
Dex1-1 gripper, Advanced	2 fingers	1	None	Not published	Adjustable 5 to 120 N	G1, G1-D, H2, R1, R1-A5, R1-A7	$580
Dex1-1 gripper, Ultimate	2 fingers	1	None	Not published	Adjustable 5 to 120 N	G1-D	$1,080
Tendon-driven hand (Dex2/5)	5 fingers	2	None	Not published	10 to 15 N at the fingertip	G1, R1, R1-A5, R1-A7	$1,490
LinkerBot Linker Hand O6	5 fingers	6	None	Under ±0.20 mm	70 N whole hand; 20 N thumb, 25 N fingers at the fingertip	R1, R1-A5, R1-A7	$1,590
LinkerBot Linker Hand O6, tactile	5 fingers	6	Yes	Under ±0.20 mm	70 N whole hand; 20 N thumb, 25 N fingers at the fingertip	R1, R1-A5, R1-A7	$1,790
BrainCo Revo 2	5 fingers	6	None	0.1° at the joint	50 N whole hand, 15 N pinch	G1, G1-D, H2, R1, R1-A5, R1-A7	$6,680
Dex3-1 three-finger hand	3 fingers	7	None	±2 mm at the fingertip	Not published	G1, G1-D, H2, R1, R1-A5, R1-A7	$7,680
Dex3-1 three-finger hand, tactile	3 fingers	7	Yes	±2 mm at the fingertip	Not published	G1, G1-D, H2, R1, R1-A5, R1-A7	$8,680
BrainCo Revo 2, tactile	5 fingers	6	Yes	0.1° at the joint	50 N whole hand, 15 N pinch	G1, G1-D, H2, R1, R1-A5, R1-A7	$8,680
Inspire DFQ	5 fingers	6	None	±0.20 mm	6 N thumb, 4 N fingers	G1, H2	$8,680
Inspire E2	5 fingers	6	Yes	±0.20 mm at the fingertip	30 N whole hand; 30 N thumb, 28 N fingers at the fingertip	G1, H2	from $10,530
Dex5-1 five-finger hand	5 fingers	16	None	±1 mm at the fingertip	10 N at the fingertip	H2	$16,450
Dex5-1P five-finger hand, tactile	5 fingers	16	Yes	±1 mm at the fingertip	10 N at the fingertip	H2	$18,950
Wuji Hand 2	5 fingers	20	None	Not published	12 N or more at the fingertip	G1, H2	from $19,500
BrainCo Revo 3 U21	5 fingers	21	None	0.1° at the joint	At least 70 N whole hand, 20 N pinch	H2	$22,300
BrainCo Revo 3 U21T, tactile	5 fingers	21	Full palm	0.1° at the joint	At least 70 N whole hand, 20 N pinch	H2	$28,800
BrainCo Revo 3 U21V, visuo-tactile	5 fingers	21	Vision-based	0.1° at the joint	At least 70 N whole hand, 20 N pinch	H2	$45,700
SharpaWave	5 fingers	22	Vision-based	±1 mm at the fingertip	150 N whole hand, 20 N at the fingertip	H2	$78,200

Prices are current US list prices per hand. A dash or "Not published" means the maker or our catalog gives no figure, which does not mean the hand lacks the capability. See every hand and gripper SKU.

Technical terms, in plain language

What the spec sheets mean.

Robot hand datasheets assume you already know the vocabulary. Here it is in plain language, with what each term should change about your decision.

Degrees of freedom (DoF)

The number of separate motions a hand can make. In practice, count the motors: one motor is one degree of freedom.

More is not automatically better. Each extra motor adds cost and weight and is harder to program. Match the number to the job: 1 to carry, about 6 to handle everyday objects, 16 or more to research finger skills.

Active and passive joints

An active joint has its own motor. A passive joint has no motor and simply follows along, linked to the joint next to it.

Compare the active DoF, not the number of joints.

Repeatability

If you send a joint or fingertip back to the same spot again and again, how closely does it land each time? A smaller number is tighter.

For most grasping, this will not decide your choice, because the fingers close around the object and absorb small errors. It matters when the hand must hit something small the same way every time, such as pressing a button or inserting a part.

Tactile (touch) sensing

Sensors in the fingers or palm that report contact and pressure, so software can tell when it is touching something and how hard.

Pay for touch if you handle fragile or soft objects, or if your research needs touch data. If the hand only moves sturdy objects, you can usually skip it.

Visuo-tactile (vision-based touch)

A tiny camera inside the fingertip watches a soft skin deform when it presses on something. Software turns that picture into a very detailed sense of touch.

A research tool. Unless your project is about touch itself, the regular tactile versions cost far less.

Force control

The hand can be told how hard to press, not only where to move. That is what lets it hold an egg and a wrench with the same fingers.

Valuable whenever objects vary in size or fragility.

Back-drivable

You can push the finger with your hand and it gives way, because no high-ratio gearbox is locking it. Your own fingers work this way.

Matters for contact-rich research and learned control. It usually does not matter for simple pick and place.

End effector

Whatever is attached to the end of a robot arm: a gripper, a hand, or a tool.

Newtons (N), grip force

The unit of force. 10 N is about the weight of a 1 kg bag of sugar, so a 50 N grip squeezes about as hard as 5 kg resting on the object.

Check the arm as well as the hand.

Payload

How much weight something can carry. A hand rated for 20 or 30 kg does not help if the arm it is attached to is rated for far less.

Start from the arm rating when planning what the robot will carry.

Wrist camera

A small camera at the wrist that looks at the fingers and the object, so the robot keeps sight of the grasp when its own arm blocks the head camera.

Important for vision-guided grasping and for recording demonstrations. Often included in the price of the hand.

Teleoperation and data collection

A person controls the robot directly, often through a VR headset, and the motions, video and touch are recorded to train an AI model.

Questions & answers

Choosing robot hands: the questions people ask.

Straight answers from the team that sells, deploys and services them.

How do I choose a hand or gripper for a Unitree humanoid?
Start from the job. To carry and move rigid things, a two-finger gripper is the simplest and lowest-cost option. To handle objects made for people, such as cups and handles, choose a five-finger hand with six motors. For research into finger dexterity, choose a hand with 16 or more motors. Add touch sensing if you handle fragile things or train AI on touch data. Then check that the hand fits your robot, because hands are built for specific models.
What does DoF mean on a robot hand?
DoF stands for degrees of freedom, the number of separate motions a hand can make. In practice it is the number of motors. A gripper has one, many five-finger hands have six, and research hands have 16 to 22. A spec sheet may also list joints: a hand with 6 DoF and 11 joints has 6 driven joints and 5 that simply follow.
What does a repeatability of 0.1 degrees mean?
It means that if a joint is sent back to the same position repeatedly, it lands within about a tenth of a degree each time. On a 10 cm finger that is about 0.17 mm at the fingertip, less than the thickness of two sheets of paper. Makers quote repeatability in different units, degrees at the joint or millimeters at the fingertip, so the numbers are not directly comparable. For most grasping it will not decide your choice.
Which hands fit which Unitree robots?
The Dex1-1 gripper, Dex3-1 and BrainCo Revo 2 fit the widest range: G1, G1-D, H2 and R1. The Inspire DFQ and E2 and the Wuji Hand 2 fit the G1 and H2. The tendon-driven hand fits the G1 and R1, and the LinkerBot O6 fits the R1. The Dex5-1, BrainCo Revo 3 and SharpaWave are for the H2 only. R1-A5 and R1-A7 dual-arm robots come with hands as factory-fitted editions.
Can I add hands to a robot I already own?
Sometimes. The Dex1-1 gripper can be bought separately and you fit it yourself with the instructions provided. Several H2 hands, including the Dex3-1 and Inspire models, are ordered together with the robot rather than as add-ons. Tell us which robot and edition you have and we will confirm what is possible before you order.
Are prices per hand or per pair?
Hand prices are per hand. A humanoid normally takes two, and you specify left and right when ordering. The configurator shows both the per-hand and the pair price. Editions of each robot that come with hands fitted already include a pair.
Do hands need a particular robot edition?
Hands are normally chosen with a programmable edition such as G1 EDU, H2 EDU or Plus, or R1 EDU, because using a hand to do useful work requires software control. Some H2 Plus hand options, the Revo 3 versions with the SHF3L camera and the SharpaWave, also require the NVIDIA Jetson Thor board. A RobotLAB specialist confirms compatibility before anything is ordered.

Have another question? Same-day response. Ask a RobotLAB specialist → Humanoid configurator

Every location runs the full playbook.

Robots for Business Leaders: Robots That Pay for Themselves.

Find the right hands for your humanoid.

Help me choose in plain language

Filter by DoF, tactile and repeatability

Who should we send the recommendation to?

Our recommendation.