1X's product head says its new humanoid hand has solved one of the toughest problems in robotics

1X unveiled a new robotic hand last week that the company says matches or exceeds human performance, and its product head declared the long-standing "hands problem" in robotics solved. Vice President of Design and Product Dar Sleeper told Business Insider the short answer is yes when asked if the company has finally solved the challenge of building a mechanical equivalent of the human hand. He added the hand is by far the closest to human-level dexterity. The hand has 25 degrees of freedom, just shy of the 27 in a human hand, allowing it to pinch, twist, grasp and use tools. Its fingers can move extremely quickly and bend beyond the range of human fingers. The system is waterproof and strong enough to carry grocery bags and suitcases. A launch video showed the hand functioning after being repeatedly struck with a hammer. A 1X spokesperson said the robot in the video worked with a mix of autonomous operation and remote control to show the upper limit of the hardware's capabilities. 1X began work on the hand about a year and a half ago and has built hundreds of units. Motors in the forearm pull tendon-like cables to move the fingers. Sleeper said the company's Hayward, California, facility can produce 10,000 robots a year and a San Carlos facility will eventually produce 100,000 to 250,000 annually. 1X has identified early customers who will receive its NEO humanoid in 2026.