In the world of robotics, hands have always been one of the most difficult — and expensive — parts to get right. The most expressive and dexterous models often rely on a tangle of cables, bulky actuators mounted far from the hand itself, and price tags that put them out of reach for most researchers and hobbyists.
The Amazing Hand project sets out to change that.
This open-source initiative was born from a simple idea: what if anyone, anywhere, could build a humanoid robot hand that was affordable, easy to assemble, and capable of natural, lifelike motion? And what if all of it could fit inside the hand itself, without the need for cables snaking up into the forearm?
Designed with accessibility in mind, the Amazing Hand is already proving how much is possible when clever design meets community-driven engineering. It offers eight degrees of freedom through four fingers, each with two articulated joints. The actuators are entirely self-contained, and the flexible outer shells help make movements more natural and expressive. It’s light, weighing just 400 grams, and remarkably affordable — under €200 to build yourself — thanks to its fully 3D-printable design and off-the-shelf components.
It was also designed to work seamlessly with Reachy2, a popular humanoid robot platform, though its modular wrist interface means it can be adapted to other robots with relative ease. And because it’s open-source, you can download the CAD files, follow the assembly guides, and even tweak the design to suit your own needs or experiments.
But the project isn’t just about a single hand. It’s about inviting others to dream bigger. There’s an active community experimenting with smarter gripping behaviors, adding fingertip sensors, testing longer-term durability, and exploring new control schemes. Every improvement and idea feeds back into the project, making it better for everyone.
The Amazing Hand is still evolving. It’s not perfect yet — no robot hand is — but that’s part of the excitement. It proves that innovation doesn’t have to come from big budgets or proprietary labs. Sometimes, the most impressive advances come from open minds, shared resources, and a vision of making robots feel a little more human.
If you’ve ever wanted to explore the future of humanoid robotics with your own hands, this is your chance.
Because building the future should be something we can all reach for.
