RH5MK1

Inspire Robots used IROS 2026 in Pittsburgh, held from 27 September to 1 October 2026, for the world premiere of the RH5MK1, a hand in a different league from its RH56 series. All 22 degrees of freedom have their own motor, with no tendons and no passive joints, inside a human-sized envelope.

The joint modules calibrate their zero point actively and can be moved from outside at only 0.05 Nm, which suits learning from demonstration, and the hand opens and closes at 5 Hz. The fingertips house six-dimensional tactile sensors that resolve force to 0.005 N, with further contact zones on the fingers and palm.

Weight, payload, interfaces and price have not yet been published, and the model is absent from the maker's English website, so the catalogue lists it as a prototype; price on request. Intended customers are humanoid builders and research labs.

The Linker Hand O30 competes with twenty fully actuated joints, and Honda's research Honda Multi-fingered Hand offers similarly dense sensing.