New robotic hand combines human-like precision with powerful grip

Swiss robotics startup Mimic Robotics has unveiled the Mimic Hand M1, a dexterous robotic hand designed to replicate human hand movements for factory automation. The tendon-driven hand houses its actuators in the forearm, enabling a compact design while delivering enough strength to handle significant payloads. The hand also combines high-resolution force sensing with pressure-sensitive fingertips that detect normal and lateral forces, as well as contact location, enabling it to manipulate both delicate and heavy objects with precision in industrial applications. According to Mimic Robotics, at the opposite end of the force spectrum, its highly backdrivable joints can detect forces as small as 0.1 newtons, equivalent to sensing objects weighing around 50 grams through motor current alone. Despite weighing only about 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms), the Mimic Hand M1 can maintain a steady cylindrical grip on payloads exceeding 55 pounds (25 kilograms). The fingertips add another layer of intelligence through tactile sensors that detect normal force, tangential shear force, and the precise location of contact. This rich sensory information allows the robotic hand to manipulate fragile components, adjust grip in real time and safely interact with unfamiliar objects-capabilities that are difficult to achieve with vision systems alone.