Hardware

LEAP Hand

The LEAP Hand is a low-cost, open-source anthropomorphic robot hand developed at Carnegie Mellon University and released in 2023, designed for machine learning research in dexterous manipulation. It uses 16 direct-driven hobby servo motors in a four-finger configuration, costs on the order of two thousand dollars to build, and its kinematics allow all four fingertip poses useful for common grasps. Assembly instructions, CAD, and control code are fully open.

Why it matters for physical AI

Dexterous manipulation research was long gated by hands costing six figures; accessible open hardware lets many labs collect real-world dexterity data, accelerating learned in-hand manipulation and multi-finger grasping.