Boston Dynamics unveils Atlas hand with 13 degrees of freedom for mass production
Boston Dynamics announced a redesigned hand for its Atlas robot on October 1, prioritizing scalability over human-like appearance. The new hand features 13 degrees of freedom—double the previous version’s 7—and includes a splayed finger design for tool use, such as drills or welding torches. It replaces delicate tendons with embedded, replaceable actuators for reliability and manufacturability,…
Key points
- Boston Dynamics’ new Atlas hand has 13 degrees of freedom, up from 7, enabling tool use like drills and welding torches
- Design omits pinky finger and replaces tendons with embedded actuators for reliability and mass production
- Company targets 100,000 units yearly, prioritizing manufacturability over human-like appearance
Alberto Rodriguez, Director of Robot Behavior at Boston Dynamics, emphasized trade-offs in robotic hand design. The new hand omits a pinky finger and avoids human-like aesthetics to improve durability and cost efficiency. While other humanoid robots focus on dexterity and appearance, Boston Dynamics aims for practicality, claiming the hand can perform tasks humans can’t. Reinforcement learning may further unlock its capabilities, but the design remains distinct from anthropomorphic alternatives.
The story so far
2 episodes →- Boston Dynamics unveils Atlas hand with 13 degrees of freedom for mass productionthis story
Atlas Robot’s New Hand May Outperform Human-Like Designs
IEEE Spectrum Robotics · 1 October 2026
Loading the full article…
This text was published by IEEE Spectrum Robotics and written by Evan Ackerman. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
Coverage and discussion
2sources- Boston Dynamics drops pinkie on new humanoid handPress · The Robot Report ·
The headline, key points and digest above were generated by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources. Automated summaries can contain errors: the sources are the record. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Published by Martin K., who runs Digest AI and handles corrections.
More in Robotics & Physical AI
All →- California orders REK to stop human vs. robot fights · 2 src
- Teradyne invests in Bright Machines to automate AI infrastructure manufacturing · 1 src
- Applied Intuition teams with Nissan on AI-defined vehicle software · 1 src
- FCC robot restrictions could accelerate shift to local AI · 1 src
- MIT team builds AI-powered wearable to move fingers via voice commands · 1 src
Comments
via GitHub Discussions