Inspire Dexterous Left Hand With Tactile Sensors (RH56F1-E2L-T1)

A robotic hand that feels the object slipping is worth more than one that only closes around it. The Inspire Dexterous Left Hand With Tactile Sensors (RH56F1-E2L-T1) is built around that idea: a rigid all-metal body for the knocks of laboratory life, paired with tactile sensing and a fast real-time link so the controller can react to contact as it happens.

The product is available through this page, by quotation.

Background

The maker and the RH56F1 line

INSPIRE ROBOTS supplies dexterous hands for research groups and robot builders. The RH56F1 line comes in left and right versions, and in the configurations named by the sources: EtherCAT with RS485, and EtherCAT with CAN FD. The hand described here is the left-hand version with tactile sensors, and it is described as an all-metal tactile robotic hand for real-time EtherCAT control and repeatable manipulation research.

That description sets the purpose. This is not a toy gripper or a simple open-and-close tool. It is a research and development hand for teams that need to repeat the same motion many times and compare the results from one trial to the next.

Where this hand sits in the range

Within the family, the tactile version is the one for contact-rich work. If your project does not need touch feedback, the Inspire Dexterous Left Hand (RH56F1-E2L) is the left-hand version without the tactile suffix. If your robot needs a right hand with the same sensing, there is the Inspire Dexterous Right Hand With Tactile Sensors (RH56F1-E2R-T1). Other hands from the brand are gathered under Inspire Robots.

The hand has 6 degrees of freedom and 12 joints. It weighs 630 g ±10 g with tactile sensing. Its body is all metal, with a static passive load capacity of 30 kg, and it has been verified through 20 standardized durability tests.

Technical Specifications

Specifications as published by the manufacturer; confirmed against the datasheet at quotation.

The manufacturer has not published the IP rating, the operating temperature, the payload on the arm, the service life or the output torque; they are confirmed at quotation.

What makes the tactile version different from the plain left hand?

The difference is feedback. A hand without touch sensing can be positioned very accurately, but it has no direct way to know whether the object in its grip is firm, light or sliding. With the tactile version, the hand carries 8 palm tactile sensors with a 30N range and 5% FS accuracy. A control program can read those values and act on them: tighten a little, hold steady, or release.

That matters most for tasks where the object is fragile, irregular or slippery. It also matters for research, where you want to record what the hand felt during each attempt and not only where the joints ended up. The plain RH56F1-E2L suits projects that do not need that record. The tactile version is the better choice when contact itself is what you are studying.

Tactile sensing and force control work together. The hand lists a force resolution of 0.1N, with fingertip force of at least 15N at the thumb and at least 10N at the fingers. These figures give you a sense of the working range: enough to hold everyday objects, with fine steps for gentle handling.

Why does the 1 kHz EtherCAT link matter?

Sensing is only useful if the data arrives in time. The hand communicates at 1 kHz over EtherCAT in real time, which means a controller can read touch values and send new commands a thousand times each second. For a team running a closed-loop grasp, that keeps the loop tight and predictable.

The sources name two interface configurations, EtherCAT with RS485 and EtherCAT with CAN FD. Tell us which one your robot controller expects when you request a quotation, so the hand arrives in the configuration you can connect without rework. The hand runs on 24V–48V, which gives some room to match the supply you already have on the robot.

Repeatability is listed at ±0.2mm, and the hand closes in 0.8 seconds or less. Together with the 20 durability tests, these figures describe a hand meant to repeat the same task again and again without drifting from trial to trial.

Who is the Inspire Dexterous Left Hand With Tactile Sensors for?

The first group is university and institute laboratories working on manipulation, grasp learning and tactile perception. They need a hand that is sturdy enough to survive failed experiments and instrumented enough to produce useful data.

The second group is humanoid and mobile manipulator builders who need a left hand to pair with a right hand. For those projects, the matching right-hand version is the RH56F1-E2R-T1, so both hands share the same sensing and interface approach.

The third group is integrators and development teams building prototypes for handling tasks that call for a gentle touch. If your task needs only position control and no touch feedback, the non-tactile RH56F1-E2L may be enough. Teams looking at other hand designs can compare options in Robot Hands.

What is the Inspire Dexterous Left Hand With Tactile Sensors used for?

1. Grasp-learning research: collect touch and joint data across many repeated attempts to train and test grasping methods.
2. Slip detection experiments: use the palm sensors to notice when an object starts to move and respond in time.
3. Humanoid robot hands: fit the left side of a two-handed platform that needs to hold and pass objects.
4. Force-limited handling: work with delicate or uneven items where the grip must stay within a set force.
5. Teleoperation studies: pair the hand with an operator interface and compare what the operator commands with what the hand feels.
6. Durability and repeatability testing: run the same motion many times to measure how consistently the hand performs.

Pricing and Availability

We do not print prices on this page. Quotation is the next step: tell us the version you need, the interface configuration and the quantity, and we will respond with a quotation. Delivery, customs and support are arranged together with the quotation. The Inspire Dexterous Left Hand With Tactile Sensors (RH56F1-E2L-T1) is available on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many joints and degrees of freedom does the hand have?

The hand has 6 degrees of freedom and 12 joints.

How much does the hand weigh?

It weighs 630 g ±10 g with tactile sensing.

What tactile sensing does it include?

It has 8 palm tactile sensors with a 30N range. Tactile sensor accuracy is 5% FS, and force resolution is 0.1N.

What power supply does the hand need?

The operating voltage is 24V–48V. The power supply is not promised in the box unless it is itemized in your order.

What is included in the box?

One RH56F1 hand in the ordered configuration. Mounting adapters, controller, power supply and cables are not promised unless itemized in the order.

Is an IP rating or operating temperature listed?

No figure is listed for either; see the note beneath the specification table.

Where can I buy the Inspire Dexterous Left Hand With Tactile Sensors and what does it cost?

You can request it through this page. The cost is given in a quotation, which we prepare once you tell us the version, interface and quantity you need.

Summary

The Inspire Dexterous Left Hand With Tactile Sensors (RH56F1-E2L-T1) answers the two demands every research hand faces: it is tough enough for repeated trials and sensitive enough to feel what it holds. An all-metal body, 6 DOF across 12 joints, 8 palm tactile sensors and a 1 kHz EtherCAT link make it a practical tool for teams that study contact and not only motion. For a quotation tailored to your configuration, this page is the starting point.