Unitree Dex5-S 22-DOF Biomimetic Dexterous Hand (Coming Soon)

Every doorknob, tool handle and cardboard box in the world was shaped for a human palm, so a robot that wants to work among them needs a hand of the same size. The Unitree Dex5-S 22-DOF Biomimetic Dexterous Hand (Coming Soon) answers that with a 1:1 human hand scale and 22 degrees of freedom per hand, driven by motors that give way under load instead of fighting it.

The product is available through this page, by quotation.

Background

Unitree Robotics and its hand lineage

Unitree Robotics is known for legged and humanoid robots, and its hands have grown alongside those platforms. The catalog already includes force-controlled three-finger hands and tactile hands made for the H1 family. The Dex5-S moves the line toward a full five-digit hand that follows the proportions of a person's hand. You can see the wider family in the Hands category, and related add-ons in Humanoid Accessories.

The sources name two versions: the Dex5-S and the Dex5-S Pro. This page covers the Dex5-S. The Pro is the version listed with tactile sensing, and it has its own page.

Positioning and key technology

The Dex5-S is a compact, precise hand built on precision micro gearboxes. All 22 motors are direct-drive and backdrivable, and each carries dual encoders. That means a person, or the world, can move a finger and the hand can sense and follow the motion instead of locking against it. A new roll axis on the pinky adds a motion that simpler hands leave out.

Protection is part of the design. When a joint motor takes an extreme external impact, an impact protection structure shields the gears from damage, and this covers all 22 degrees of freedom. For a hand that will be learning on real objects, that is a practical safeguard.

Technical Specifications

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

The manufacturer has not published the fingertip force, the joint torque, the IP rating, the operating temperature, the contents of the box, the software and SDK support or the list of compatible robots; they are confirmed at quotation.

What makes the Dex5-S different from a simpler robot hand?

The first difference is the joint count. Twenty-two degrees of freedom per hand, split as five in the thumb, four in each of the index, middle and ring fingers, and five in the pinky, lets the hand take postures that grippers with a handful of axes cannot. The extra roll axis on the pinky matters for wrapping around handles and for hand shapes that rely on the outer edge of the palm.

The second difference is how the motors behave. Direct-drive, backdrivable actuation with dual encoders gives the hand a compliant feel. When a finger meets an obstacle, it can yield, and the encoders report what happened. Teams that train grasping policies or record human demonstrations tend to value that kind of response, because it makes contact less brittle.

The third is the physical package. At 620g with an aluminum alloy housing, the hand is small enough to be carried on a humanoid wrist while still offering a payload of up to 2 kg per hand and 1 kg continuous. The wide 15V~65V supply range gives integrators room to power it from different systems.

How does the Dex5-S connect and what does the palm camera need?

You choose the link: Gigabit Ethernet, USB, or high-speed RS-485. Each suits a different architecture, from a bench setup on a laptop to a compact bus inside a robot arm. With the Gigabit Ethernet configuration, the palm camera plugs straight into the hand, so there is no external cabling for it. That keeps the wrist cleaner and reduces the cables that can snag during motion.

If your work depends on touch feedback, look at the Unitree Dex5-S Pro 22-DOF Tactile Dexterous Hand, the version listed with tactile sensing. No tactile entry is listed for the Dex5-S.

Who is the Dex5-S for?

University and corporate research labs are the clearest fit. A human-scale, 22-DoF hand suits studies of grasping, in-hand manipulation, teleoperation and learning from demonstration, and the backdrivable motors suit experiments in which contact is expected.

Humanoid developers who want a hand that matches human proportions will also find it useful, since tools and fixtures built for people can be used without redesign. Integrators building demonstrations for events, training programs or customer showcases gain a hand that looks and moves like the real thing.

If your priority is tactile feedback at the fingertips, the Dex5-S Pro is the better match. If you need a simpler three-finger hand, the Hands category lists other options.

What is the Dex5-S used for?

1. Dexterous grasping research. Test grasp strategies on everyday objects with a hand that shares human proportions.
2. Teleoperation studies. Map a human operator's finger motion onto a hand of matching scale.
3. Learning from demonstration. Backdrivable joints and dual encoders help capture and replay motion.
4. Humanoid manipulation. Give a humanoid platform a hand that can work with human tools.
5. Human-robot interaction. Study handovers and gestures with a hand people instantly recognize.
6. Laboratory and exhibition demonstrations. Show fine finger motion with a compact, protected hand.

Pricing and Availability

The Dex5-S is marked Coming Soon, and we handle it by quotation. Tell us your application, quantity and destination, and we will prepare an offer. Delivery, customs and support are arranged together with the quotation. The Unitree Dex5-S 22-DOF Biomimetic Dexterous Hand is available on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many degrees of freedom does the Dex5-S have?

It has 22 degrees of freedom per hand. The thumb and pinky have 5 each, and the index, middle and ring fingers have 4 each.

Are the motors backdrivable?

Yes. All 22 motors are direct-drive and backdrivable, and they use dual encoders.

What happens if the hand takes a hard impact?

An impact protection structure shields the gears from damage when a joint motor takes an extreme external impact. This applies to all 22 degrees of freedom.

How much can it carry?

The Dex5-S handles up to 2 kg payload per hand and 1 kg continuous working payload.

How do I connect it?

You can choose Gigabit Ethernet, USB or high-speed RS-485. With the Gigabit Ethernet configuration, the palm camera plugs straight into the hand.

Does the Dex5-S have tactile sensing?

Tactile sensing is listed for the Dex5-S Pro, with no entry for the Dex5-S. See the Dex5-S Pro page for that version.

Where can I buy the Dex5-S and what does it cost?

You can request it through this page. The cost is given in a quotation prepared for your quantity and destination.

Summary

A world built around the human hand rewards a robot hand that matches it. The Dex5-S pairs 1:1 human hand scale with 22 degrees of freedom, backdrivable direct-drive motors, dual encoders and impact protection for the gears, in a 620g aluminum alloy package. Several specifications are confirmed at quotation, and tactile sensing belongs to the Pro version. For a quotation on the Dex5-S, this page is the starting point.