1X unveils Neo robot hand with 25 joints and real touch sense

US-based AI robotics company 1X showed off its new humanoid robot Neo's hand. It has 25 joints, all powered by separate motors and tendon-like cables, making it almost as nimble as a human hand. The hand uses a low gear ratio of 5:1 to 15:1, so it can feel forces and be pushed back easily, a feature called "force transparency."

The fingertips have high-resolution touch sensors that detect pressure, contact point, and shear force. When an object starts to slip, the hand can sense it and adjust its grip. The hand is also waterproof to IP68 standard, meaning Neo can wash its own hands after cooking or cleaning. 1X says the hand has passed millions of test cycles, with the wrist joint alone completing over 2 million motion tests under load.

1X says legs move the robot, but hands do the real work like folding laundry or making food. Neo's hardware is currently more advanced than its AI software, but future over-the-air updates will unlock more abilities. This brings home-service robots closer to reality.