Xiaomi robotic hand packs 26 motors for factory handling

Xiaomi has announced a robotic hand for industrial manufacturing with 21 degrees of freedom, a 26 motor hybrid drive and 1,500 tactile sensors, according to XimiTime. Developed by Xiaomi’s Intelligent Manufacturing division, the hand targets manipulation tasks grounded in the company’s automotive production procedures. Deployment and commercial availability details have not been disclosed. The design combines tendon tension control with dense touch sensing, which Xiaomi says supports precise grip force control and detailed feedback during object handling.

The development process drew on 1,827 actual standard operating procedures collected at Xiaomi’s automotive mid-scale test center. According to the report, those procedures cover more than 70% of typical manual operations across 16 key stages in car production. That gives the project a specific manufacturing reference set rather than a general dexterity brief. The team also created digital assets of factory tools and components for grip simulations from multiple angles, using them to assess how the hand would handle industrial objects. Those simulations formed part of the design verification process described in the report.

The Xiaomi robotic hand’s tactile array extends across the whole hand, with reported spatial resolution of 1 mm at finger joints, pads and roots, and 2 mm in the palm. Xiaomi says the sensing system supports grip analysis and simulation, while the hybrid drive is intended to improve reliability and maintenance as well as force control. The team also optimized cooling for industrial operation. Building on Xiaomi’s earlier tactile glove work, the hand uses modular sensor replacement to support maintenance, upgrades and tactile data analysis based on human hand anatomy.

Source: ximitime.com