Dexrobot 021S High-Function Three-Fingered Dexterous Hand

Every gram bolted to a robot's wrist is a gram the arm can no longer lift, and every extra actuator is one more part to wire, calibrate and maintain. The Dexrobot 021S High-Function Three-Fingered Dexterous Hand is DEXROBOT's answer to that trade-off. It is a 0.6kg hand with three fingers, 8 DOFs and a 22N grip force, and it carries its own camera and tactile sensing, so the arm behind it never works blind. It is engineered for the grasps that fill a working shift, not for copying the human hand for its own sake.

Robots USA sells the Dexrobot 021S and supplies it to manufacturers, system integrators, universities and research labs across the United States. Our team quotes each configuration, including the optional power adapter and USB-to-CAN interface. Robots USA then delivers the hand and supports it after installation, so your project moves from the shipping crate to its first grasp with a clear plan.

Background

DEXROBOT and the DexHand021 family

The 021S belongs to the DexHand021 generation of dexterous hands. On May 30, 2025, at the 2025 Lingqiao Intelligent New Product Launch Conference, the company released three products together: the DexHand021 Pro dexterous hand, the three-fingered DexHand021 S and the DexCap data collection system. At the same event it proposed a "dexterity index quantification system" for measuring what a robotic hand can actually do. The sources list the hand as DexHand021 S and also name a DexHand021 S-T version. When you request a quotation, tell us which version your project calls for, and Robots USA will match the configuration to it.

Dexterous hands are a fast-growing class of end-effector. Parallel grippers handle one shape well. A multi-fingered hand can pinch, wrap and reposition objects of different shapes without a tool change. This versatility is why such hands appear in embodied AI research, flexible manufacturing cells and mobile manipulation platforms. These are places where the next object is not always the same as the last one.

Key technology: a hybrid drive with built-in perception

The 021S moves its fingers through a combined transmission of gear, tendon rope and linkage. Each mechanism contributes something different. Gears deliver torque in a compact space. Tendon ropes route motion through slender fingers. Linkages turn rotation into the curling motion of a grasp. Combining all three lets a hand stay light while still producing useful force at the fingertips.

Perception is part of the hand itself. A 5 MP auto-focus RGB camera is mounted in the palm as standard vision, and 0.1 N ultra-sensitive tactile sensing registers contact. Grip strength runs through 0 - 1 A stepless torque adjustment with dynamic adaptation. Together, these elements let a controller see the object, feel the moment of contact and regulate force instead of simply closing the fingers to a fixed position.

Technical Specifications

Specifications are as published by the manufacturer and are confirmed against the datasheet at quotation.

The manufacturer has not published the operating temperature range, the IP rating, the supported software platforms or the materials used in the hand; Robots USA confirms these details at quotation.

How does the 021S cover most tasks with only three fingers?

DEXROBOT built the 021S to achieve 80% of core hand functions at a lower cost. The reasoning is practical. Most grasps in a production cell or a lab are pinches, tripod holds and wraps. A well-designed three-finger hand can perform all of them. The added fingers of a five-finger hand mainly serve the less common remaining tasks. Keeping the finger count at three keeps the mechanism simpler and the mass low.

Three fingers do not mean limited motion. The hand spreads 8 DOFs across its fingers, which gives it room to shape a grasp around the object rather than forcing the object into the hand. Precision is part of the design. The ± 0.5 mm repeatability supports precision picking of micro-objects, and the minimum grasp diameter of ≤ 30 mm means small parts fall within its working range. For an integrator, this combination means one end-effector can cover several jobs that would otherwise call for a tool changer and a rack of dedicated grippers.

Durability matters as much as dexterity in daily operation. The rated lifespan of 200,000 cycles gives planners a concrete figure to build maintenance schedules around. The compact envelope of 208mm * 80mm * 82.8mm keeps the hand clear of fixtures in tight cells.

What do the palm camera and tactile sensing change for integration?

Many hands leave perception to an external camera on a stand or to sensors that the integrator adds later. The 021S takes a different route. Its palm-mounted 5 MP auto-focus RGB camera looks at the object from the point of view that matters most, right before contact. The 0.1 N ultra-sensitive tactile sensing reports when contact actually happens. The 0 - 1 A stepless torque adjustment, with dynamic adaptation, then lets the grip firm up or ease off to suit the object. A rigid machined part and a fragile component can be handled by the same hand without swapping hardware.

On the control side, the hand communicates over CAN FD / RS485 and runs DC 24 V, a supply voltage common in industrial automation. The open-source SDK and multi-protocol support are designed so the hand seamlessly adapts to mainstream robotic arms through multiple communication protocols. For a development team, the open-source SDK means grasp logic can be written, inspected and adapted in-house instead of being locked behind a closed interface. Two optional accessories, both shipped separately, complete a bench setup: a 24V / 3A power adapter and a ZLG 100U-mini USB-to-CAN interface for connecting the hand to a PC.

Who is the Dexrobot 021S for?

The first group is system integrators and manufacturers building flexible pick-and-place and assembly cells. For them, the low mass, CAN FD / RS485 control and DC 24 V supply fit standard automation practice. Swapping parallel grippers for one adaptable hand can simplify a cell that handles mixed parts.

The second group is research labs and embodied AI teams. They need a hand that is affordable enough to deploy in numbers and open enough to program freely. The open-source SDK, the palm camera and the tactile sensing give them a sensor-rich platform for grasp learning without building one from scratch.

The third group is developers of mobile manipulators and service robots. On these platforms, a light end-effector leaves more of the arm's capacity for the object itself. Universities and technical training programs also fit here, because a three-finger hand is easier to understand, model and teach than a full anthropomorphic one.

Some projects call for a different hand architecture or a more extensive feature set. For those, compare the 021S with the Dexrobot 021PRO Wrist-Hand Integrated Dexterous Hand (021PRO), the Dexrobot 021MP High-DOF,Multi-Modal,Perceptive Intelligent General-Purpose Dexterous Hand (021MP) and the Dexrobot 021 Concept Version Intelligent General-Purpose Dexterous Hand (021 Concept). The full DexRobot lineup and our wider Robot Hands category are also available for comparison, and Robots USA will set out the differences in your quotation.

What is the Dexrobot 021S used for?

1. Precision picking: handling small and micro-sized parts where repeatable fingertip placement decides the yield.
2. Flexible assembly: grasping mixed components in one cell without a tool change between part types.
3. Machine tending: loading and unloading workpieces with force regulated by adaptive torque control.
4. Embodied AI research: training and testing grasp policies with the camera and tactile data the hand provides.
5. Mobile manipulation: equipping mobile robots with a light hand that leaves more of the arm's capacity for the load.
6. Education and prototyping: teaching dexterous manipulation on an open-source SDK that students can read and extend.

Pricing and Availability

Robots USA supplies the Dexrobot 021S by quotation, so each offer reflects your version, your robot arm and the accessories your setup needs. Tell us about your application and the arm you plan to use, and we will prepare a quotation that covers the hand and any optional power adapter or USB-to-CAN interface. Delivery, customs and support are arranged with the quotation. A quotation for the Dexrobot 021S is available on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many degrees of freedom does the Dexrobot 021S have?

The hand offers 8 DOFs distributed across its three fingers. This lets it adapt the shape of a grasp to the object it is holding.

What power supply does the 021S need?

The hand runs on DC 24 V. A Power Adapter 24V / 3A is available as an optional accessory and is shipped separately.

Which communication interfaces does it support?

The 021S communicates over CAN FD / RS485. For PC connection, the optional ZLG 100U-mini USB-to-CAN interface is shipped separately.

Will the 021S work with my robot arm?

The hand is designed to seamlessly adapt to mainstream robotic arms through multiple communication protocols. Tell Robots USA which arm you use, and we will confirm the integration path in your quotation.

What sensing is built into the hand?

A 5 MP auto-focus RGB camera is mounted in the palm as standard. The hand also has 0.1 N ultra-sensitive tactile sensing and 0 - 1 A stepless torque adjustment with dynamic adaptation.

How long is the 021S rated to last?

The rated lifespan is 200,000 cycles. This figure gives maintenance planners a clear basis for scheduling.

Where can I buy the Dexrobot 021S and what does it cost?

You can buy the Dexrobot 021S from Robots USA, which supplies it across the United States. Pricing is provided by quotation for your configuration, and you can request one directly on this page.

Summary

On a robot's wrist, every gram and every actuator has a cost, and the Dexrobot 021S is designed around that fact. Its three fingers and 8 DOFs cover 80% of core hand functions in a 0.6kg package. The hybrid gear, tendon rope and linkage drive, the palm camera, the tactile sensing and the adaptive torque control carry out those grasps with the control that real tasks demand. Its open-source SDK, CAN FD / RS485 interfaces and DC 24 V supply make it practical to integrate, whether the hand is going into a production cell, a research lab or a mobile platform. Robots USA quotes it, delivers it and supports it, and for any team ready to put a capable hand on its arm, this page is the starting point.