Shadow Dexterous Hand Extra Super Lite (DHSL)

Every gram at the end of a robot arm is a gram the arm has to carry, every time it moves. The Shadow Dexterous Hand Extra Super Lite (DHSL) starts from that simple fact. It keeps one finger and a thumb, drops the rest, and still gives a team a hand that senses, closes and reports back in detail. It is the lightest step in a series built around human-hand motion.

The product is available through this page, by quotation.

Background

The Dexterous Hand family and the Lite series

The Shadow Dexterous Hand is a robotic hand designed to follow the motion of a human hand. The sources describe the series as fully ROS integrated, for use as a research and development tool and as testing hardware for AI and Machine Learning. Labs that study grasping, manipulation and learning from demonstration have long used hands of this kind, because a hand with many joints and many sensors produces the data those studies need.

The sources name four versions: the Shadow Dexterous Hand, the Dexterous Hand Lite, the Dexterous Hand Extra Lite and the Dexterous Hand Super Lite. Each step down removes a finger. The full hand has four fingers and a thumb, the Lite has three fingers and a thumb, the Extra Lite has two fingers and a thumb, and the lightest version has one finger and a thumb. The manufacturer's own words for the idea are compact and lightweight: removing a finger from each successive model decreases the weight, which makes the Lite series particularly well suited to mobile manipulation projects or to reducing the load on robot arms.

You can browse the wider range in our Robot Hands category, and the maker's other products in the Shadow Robot category.

Where the DHSL sits in the line-up

The DHSL is the most compact configuration of the series. It carries seven DC motors that drive 7 degrees of freedom across 8 joints. The finger and the thumb each have 4 joints, and there is no wrist joint, so the hand is meant to be mounted on an arm or platform that supplies the wrist motion.

Sensing is where the small hand stays generous. It has 14 tendon load sensors, one inertial measurement unit and one Shadow Tactile Fingertip fitted as standard, with room for a second. The sources give a total of 129 sensors, which the manufacturer describes as detailed telemetry data. Control runs at 1kHz through the host over the EtherCat protocol. The hand can move from open to closed in 0.5 seconds, and that speed is what makes the high data rate useful.

Technical Specifications

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

The manufacturer has not published the dimensions, the payload, the power supply, the IP rating, the joint range of motion or the contents of the box; they are confirmed at quotation.

What makes the DHSL different from the full Dexterous Hand?

The difference is weight and complexity, and the numbers show it. The full Shadow Dexterous Hand has 20 actuated DOF and 20 DC motors, with a further 4 under-actuated movements, and it weighs 4.3 Kg. The DHSL has 7 DC motors and weighs 1.8 Kg. That is a hand less than half the weight of the full model, with far fewer motors to power, tune and maintain.

What you give up is obvious: with one finger and a thumb, you do not have the multi-finger grasps of the larger hands. What you keep is the architecture. The same series philosophy applies, the same 1kHz EtherCat control loop is available, and the same ROS integration applies across the Dexterous Hand series. The thumb still has 4 joints, as it does on the Lite and Extra Lite versions, so pinch-style work between the finger and the thumb remains possible.

The sensor count tells the same story from another angle. The full hand lists 40 tendon load sensors and up to 5 Shadow Tactile Fingertips. The DHSL lists 14 tendon load sensors and up to 2. Fewer fingers mean fewer channels, yet the DHSL still reports 129 sensors in total. For a team that wants data more than it wants a full hand, that is a fair trade.

Does the DHSL work with ROS and the Shadow Glove?

The sources describe the Dexterous Hand series as fully ROS integrated. For a robotics group, that means the hand can sit inside the software it already uses for planning, perception and learning, instead of needing a separate toolchain. The source also positions the series as testing hardware for AI and Machine Learning, where fast, repeatable data from real contact matters.

The Shadow Glove is described as fully optimised to work with the Dexterous Hands, accurately mimicking your movements to provide precision with minimal training. That makes teleoperation and demonstration capture a natural use. The sources do not give glove compatibility details specific to the DHSL beyond the series statement, so ask us to confirm the setup you have in mind when you request a quotation.

On the arm side, the sources state that each hand can be provided with a 6 DOF industrial robotic arm from Universal Robots. If you do not already own an arm, that gives you a path to a complete working cell. Whether that arm suits this lightweight hand in your application is something we confirm with you at quotation.

Who is the DHSL for?

The first group is teams with arms that have limited reach or load capacity. A lighter end-effector leaves more of the arm's capacity for the task itself, and puts less strain on its joints. The manufacturer says as much about the Lite series: it reduces the load on robot arms.

The second group is mobile manipulation projects, where a hand rides on a wheeled or legged platform and every kilogram affects balance and battery use. The third is research laboratories working on learning, perception and tactile sensing. They often need rich data from a simple mechanism more than they need a full five-digit hand. The fourth is teaching labs, where a smaller hand with fewer motors is easier to set up and to explain.

If your work needs more fingers, look at the other versions: the Shadow Dexterous Hand with four fingers and a thumb, the Lite with three, or the Extra Lite with two. The Shadow Robot category is the place to start, and our team can help you choose the step that fits your tasks and your arm.

What is the DHSL used for?

1. Mobile manipulation. A light hand suits platforms that carry their own power and cannot spare weight.
2. Payload-limited arms. At 1.8 Kg it leaves more of a small arm's capacity for the work.
3. AI and Machine Learning research. The series is positioned as testing hardware, with 129 sensors feeding the data.
4. Tactile sensing studies. One Shadow Tactile Fingertip is fitted as standard, and a second can be added.
5. Teleoperation and demonstration. The Shadow Glove is optimised to work with the Dexterous Hands.
6. Teaching and prototyping. ROS integration and EtherCat control let teams build and test on familiar tools.

Pricing and Availability

We do not print prices on this page. Quotation is the way to buy: tell us your application, your arm or platform and the number of units, and we will prepare an offer. Delivery, customs and support are arranged with the quotation, so you know the full picture before you commit. The Shadow Dexterous Hand Extra Super Lite (DHSL) is available on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many fingers does the DHSL have?

It has one finger and a thumb, written as 1 + 1 (thumb) in the manufacturer's table. The finger and the thumb have 4 joints each.

How much does the DHSL weigh?

The overall weight is 1.8 Kg. The full Shadow Dexterous Hand weighs 4.3 Kg, so the lightest version is a clear saving for arms and mobile platforms.

Does the DHSL have a wrist?

No. The number of wrist joints is 0, so wrist motion comes from the arm or platform that carries the hand.

How fast is the control loop?

Control runs through the host at 1kHz over the EtherCat protocol. The hand can transition from open to closed in 0.5 seconds.

Is the DHSL compatible with ROS?

Yes. The sources describe the Dexterous Hand series as fully ROS integrated, for research and development and as testing hardware for AI and Machine Learning.

What sensors does it carry?

It has 14 tendon load sensors, one inertial measurement unit and one Shadow Tactile Fingertip fitted as standard, with a maximum of 2. The total is 129 sensors.

Where can I buy the DHSL and what does it cost?

You can buy it through this page by requesting a quotation. We do not publish a price here, because the offer depends on your configuration, delivery destination and support needs.

Summary

The idea behind the DHSL is that a hand does not have to be big to be useful. By keeping one finger and a thumb, 7 DC motors and a weight of 1.8 Kg, it takes load off the arm that carries it. By keeping 129 sensors, ROS integration and a 1kHz EtherCat loop, it still gives researchers real data. It suits mobile platforms, small arms and learning projects well, while larger Dexterous Hand versions remain the choice for full multi-finger grasping. If a light, sensor-rich hand matches your project, this page is the starting point.