Carnegie Mellon University · Robotic hands and grippers

LEAP Hand

An open-source, multi-fingered robotic hand for advanced research and development

Overview

This four-fingered robotic hand, developed at Carnegie Mellon University, offers 16 directly actuated joints for high dexterity. It is a research platform, designed to attach to various robot arms and can be controlled using ROS, Python, or C++. The hand weighs 595 grams.

Specifications

Deployment Stage
Research platform
Weight
595 g (stated in the RSS 2023 paper; not listed on the current site/BOM)
Fingers
4
Actuated degrees of freedom
16
Total degrees of freedom
16
Actuation
Directly actuated servo joints (16x Dynamixel XC330-M288-T)
Tactile / force sensing
None in the base design
Grip / payload
Not published as a standardized grip/payload spec
Buying format
Research / open source

Where it performs

  • Open-source design with comprehensive build documentation and parts list.
  • High dexterity from 16 directly actuated joints and universal abduction-adduction.
  • Cost-effective self-assembly under $2,000 for research and prototyping.

What to check before buying

  • No integrated tactile or force sensing in the base design.
  • Official pre-assembled supply options are currently unavailable.
  • Requires self-assembly or sourcing from third-party vendors for hardware.

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