Chinese robotic hand performs magic tricks with human-like dexterity

The LinkerHand O30 performed three tricks in a video released by the company in October, including swapping playing cards, pulling a toy car from a thin card and making a coin disappear.

The demonstrations showed how the hand could coordinate rapid finger movements to manipulate small, thin objects, tech site Interesting Engineering noted. The O30 has 20 degrees of freedom, allowing it to perform a range of independently controlled movements similar to those of a human hand. Weighing 730 grams, the O30 is designed to be fitted onto existing robotic systems.

According to Linkerbot, the hand can receive control commands 500 times per second and repeatedly return to a specified position with a deviation of just 0.2 millimeters. It can fully open or close in about 0.8 seconds and support loads of up to 30 kilograms.

Its thumb can exert up to 24 newtons of force, while its four-finger grip generates 30 newtons and its five-finger grasp reaches 70 newtons. These capabilities allow it to grip and manipulate objects of different shapes and sizes.

LinkerBot says the O30 is designed for precision manufacturing in the electronics, automotive and aerospace industries, as well as advanced robotics research and AI model training.

Founded in 2023, the Beijing-based startup has become a leading manufacturer of highly dexterous robotic hands, a key component of humanoid robots. It holds more than 80% of the global market for robotic hands with a high degree of freedom, its CEO Alex Zhou told Reuters in May.

Zhou said LinkerBot was producing nearly 5,000 robotic hands per month and planned to double monthly production capacity to 10,000 units. The startup was valued at approximately $3 billion following a funding round in April.

Its five-fingered robotic hands, which vary in dexterity and can perform tasks such as playing the piano, threading needles, tightening screws and assembling electronic components, are priced from $600 to $15,000 in China, according to Wired.

In a May interview with the magazine, Zhou predicted that robotic hand prices could fall to $200 within three to five years as manufacturing expands. He also expects humanoid robots to become increasingly affordable, predicting that "everyone will own ten robots on average."