Shadow Dexterous Hand (DH)
In stock
- BRAND:
- SHADOW ROBOT
- PART #:
- DH
- AVAILABILITY:
- SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY
- SKU:
- Shadow-DH
Shadow Dexterous Hand (DH)
Every robot gripper is eventually measured against the human hand, and most fall short the moment an object has to be turned, rolled or re-gripped. The Shadow Dexterous Hand (DH) is built to close that gap: a tendon-driven humanoid hand that reproduces the kinematics of the human hand as closely as it can, and reports on its own motion through a dense network of sensors.
The product is available through this page, by quotation.
Background
The company and its lineage
The Dexterous Hand comes from Shadow Robot, a company that has spent more than 20 years on research and development of humanoid hands. That long history is why the hand is described as a trusted component for both research and industry. Rather than chasing a simple, low-cost gripper, the work has stayed focused on one hard problem: copying the movement of the human hand.
The family has several versions: the Shadow Dexterous Hand, the Shadow Dexterous Hand Lite, the Shadow Dexterous Hand Extra Lite and the Shadow Dexterous Hand Super Lite. This page covers the Shadow Dexterous Hand (DH), and every figure below belongs to that version only. Readers who want to see the wider range can browse the Shadow Robot category or the Robot Hands category.
Positioning and key technology
The Hand is an advanced humanoid robot hand system that provides 24 movements. It contains 20 motors and is tendon driven, which allows adduction and abduction movement across 24 degrees of freedom. The thumb has 5 degrees of freedom and 5 joints, and each finger has 3 degrees of freedom and 4 joints.
Each of the twenty Smart Motor nodes drives a Maxon motor using PWM. A Hall effect sensor senses the rotation of each joint locally with a typical resolution of 0.2 degrees. The whole system is built from a combination of metals and plastics, including aluminium, brass, acetyl, polycarbonate and polyurethane flesh.
Communication runs over EtherCAT, a 100Mbps Ethernet-based fieldbus, and the Hand is fully compatible with ROS (Robot Operating System). That combination places it as a research platform: something a laboratory can connect to existing control, visualisation and simulation tools without building the plumbing from scratch.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Movements | 24 |
| Motors | 20, tendon driven |
| Degrees of freedom | 24 |
| Thumb | 5 degrees of freedom, 5 joints |
| Each finger | 3 degrees of freedom, 4 joints |
| Weight (hand and forearm) | 4.3 kg |
| Payload in power grasp | Up to 4 kg |
| Joint movement speed | Full-range joint movement in free space at a frequency of 1.0 Hz (typical parameters) |
| Joint position control accuracy | +/- 1° across the full range of movement, all joints except the finger distal joints |
| Position sensing | Hall effect sensor on each joint, typical resolution of 0.2 degrees |
| Sensors | Over 100, running at up to 1KHz |
| Tactile sensing | Two Shadow Tactile Fingertips (STFs) on the thumb and index finger as standard; the STF has 17 x 3 DoF taxels |
| Actuation | Twenty Smart Motor nodes, each driving a Maxon motor using PWM |
| Communications bus | EtherCAT, a 100Mbps Ethernet-based fieldbus |
| Power supply | 48 V @ 2.5 |
| Materials | Aluminium, brass, acetyl, polycarbonate and polyurethane flesh |
| Software | Fully compatible with ROS, including control, visualisation and simulation |
Specifications as published by the manufacturer; confirmed against the datasheet at quotation.
The manufacturer has not published the operating temperature range, the IP rating, the maximum fingertip force, the power consumption or the noise level; they are confirmed at quotation.
What makes the Shadow Dexterous Hand different from a simple gripper?
A parallel-jaw gripper has one motion: open and close. The Dexterous Hand has 24 degrees of freedom spread across a thumb and fingers that are laid out like those of a human hand. That structure is what lets a researcher study actions a gripper cannot perform at all, such as adducting and abducting the fingers, repositioning an object within the hand, or opposing the thumb to a fingertip.
The second difference is data. With over 100 sensors running at up to 1KHz, the Hand does not simply move; it gives you insight and accurate data points to support your research. Each joint has its own Hall effect sensor, and the thumb and index finger carry Shadow Tactile Fingertips as standard, each with 17 x 3 DoF taxels. A grasp is therefore something you can measure, not just observe.
The third difference is how it connects. EtherCAT carries the control traffic, and ROS support covers control, visualisation and simulation. Teams that already work in ROS can bring the Hand into the tools they know.
What comes with the development kit?
The Shadow Dexterous Hand development kit includes control systems, software that is ROS compliant, a PC, power supplies, tactile sensing, auxiliary equipment where required, documentation and training. All Hands are supplied with a standard multi-core laptop running Ubuntu with an EtherCAT-compatible network port; more options are available.
Two configuration options are worth raising early in a project. The first is a full-stack integration of the Hand with the UR10e arm, which lets you control the hand and arm as a single system via ROS from the supplied Server laptop. The second is a Left Hand, which is functionally identical to the standard Hand but mirrored for use in a bi-manual system.
Who is the Shadow Dexterous Hand (DH) for?
The first group is university and institute laboratories working on grasping, in-hand manipulation, tactile perception and learning-based control. They gain a hand whose joints, sensors and control rate are documented in detail, which matters when results must be reproduced and shared.
The second group is industrial research and development teams prototyping manipulation tasks that a gripper cannot handle. A hand with 24 degrees of freedom and tactile fingertips lets them test whether a task is feasible before committing to a production design.
The third group is teams building bi-manual or arm-mounted systems. The mirrored Left Hand and the UR10e integration are aimed squarely at them. Buyers who do not need the full configuration can ask about the Lite, Extra Lite and Super Lite versions of the Shadow Dexterous Hand; these are separate versions, and the figures above do not apply to them. The full set of options sits in the Robot Hands category.
What is the Shadow Dexterous Hand (DH) used for?
- Grasp research. Study how the hand holds objects in a power grasp, which can hold up to 4 kg.
- In-hand manipulation. Use the thumb and finger joints to reposition objects without releasing them.
- Tactile sensing studies. Collect fingertip data from the Shadow Tactile Fingertips on the thumb and index finger.
- Robot learning. Feed high-rate sensor data, running at up to 1KHz, into control and learning experiments.
- ROS-based development. Control, visualise and simulate the Hand with the ROS tools your team already uses.
- Arm-and-hand systems. Combine the Hand with the UR10e arm, or build a bi-manual setup with the Left Hand.
Pricing and Availability
No price is printed on this page. Quotation is the way to buy: tell us your application, the configuration you need and the version of the Hand you are considering, and we will respond with a quotation. Delivery, customs and support are arranged with the quotation. The Shadow Dexterous Hand (DH) is available on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many degrees of freedom does the Shadow Dexterous Hand have?
It has 24 degrees of freedom and provides 24 movements. The thumb has 5 degrees of freedom and 5 joints, and each finger has 3 degrees of freedom and 4 joints.
How much can the Hand lift?
In a power grasp, the Hand can hold up to 4 kg. The hand and forearm together weigh 4.3 kg.
Which communication bus and software does it use?
It communicates over EtherCAT, a 100Mbps Ethernet-based fieldbus. It is fully compatible with ROS, including control, visualisation and simulation.
What tactile sensing is included?
Two Shadow Tactile Fingertips are fitted on the thumb and index finger as standard. Each STF has 17 x 3 DoF taxels.
Can it be mounted on an arm or used in pairs?
Yes. Full-stack integration with the UR10e arm is offered, controlled as a single system via ROS. A Left Hand, mirrored for bi-manual systems, is also available.
Does the Hand come with a computer?
Yes. All Hands are supplied with a standard multi-core laptop running Ubuntu with an EtherCAT-compatible network port, and power supplies are provided with the Hand.
Where can I buy the Shadow Dexterous Hand (DH) and what does it cost?
It is available through this page, by quotation. The cost depends on the configuration you choose, so send us your requirements and we will reply with a quotation.
Summary
Where a simple gripper closes and hopes, the Shadow Dexterous Hand (DH) moves, feels and reports. It has 24 degrees of freedom, 20 tendon-driven motors, over 100 sensors and tactile fingertips, all connected through EtherCAT and ROS. It suits laboratories and development teams who need to study how the human hand works and copy it in a machine. For a quotation, or a configuration with the UR10e arm or a Left Hand, this page is the starting point.
