Valued at 75 Billion! The Boom and Reality of Robot Dexterous Hands

量子位 · wechat · 2026-08-04

QbitAI published an in-depth analysis on the hottest segment in humanoid robotics: dexterous hands. In the first half of this year, the sector attracted over 20 billion RMB in funding, with the top 10 companies reaching a combined post-money valuation of 75 billion RMB.

Why the sudden boom?

The robotics industry has shifted its focus from 'mobility' to 'utility.' As end-effectors, dexterous hands directly determine a robot's practical value. Furthermore, customer demand has shifted from research institutions to traditional industrial giants (energy, home appliances), bringing specific scenario requirements like explosion-proofing and food-grade coatings.

Why do they cost hundreds of thousands?

High-DoF (22DoF+) hands often cost hundreds of thousands of RMB. The cost is heavily driven by coreless motors (50-60% of cost) and tactile sensors. However, high prices don't guarantee reliability; most current products suffer from poor durability and frequent breakages, hindering large-scale real-world data collection.

Are five-fingered hands a false demand?

Many robot manufacturers remain cautious about self-developing five-fingered hands. Beyond hardware unreliability, many industrial tasks can already be handled by two- or three-finger grippers. Additionally, the current reliance on real-world data creates a bottleneck where hardware limitations and simulation inaccuracies constrain each other. The industry is still in a 'hand-assembled' stage, far from mass production.

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