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ORCA Dexterity

Private

ORCA Dexterity from ETH Zurich develops open source robotic hands with integrated tactile sensing.

Founded 2024Undisclosed raised
OPEN-SOURCEROBOTIC-HANDTACTILE-SENSINGAFFORDABLE
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Dexterous Hands

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ORCA Hand
Open-source dexterous robotic hand with 17 DoF, tactile sensing, and tendon-driven manipulation.
H:N/A
W:1.2 kg
D:17
S:N/A
L:N/A
B:N/A

About ORCA Dexterity

ORCA Dexterity is an open-source robotics project from ETH Zurich developing affordable, high-performance robotic hands for research and embodied AI. The project combines dexterous manipulation, integrated tactile sensing, and open hardware to make advanced robotic hands more accessible to researchers, developers, and robotics laboratories. Its robotic hands are designed to be largely 3D printable while incorporating integrated sensing and modular components for manipulation research. With multiple models ranging from approximately $1,500 to $6,100, ORCA Dexterity offers a cost-effective platform for studying grasping, tactile perception, and human-like manipulation in humanoid robots and other robotic systems. Tagline

Technical Profile

Platform maturity, autonomy stack, and flagship-system specifications in one view.

Technology Snapshot

A concise view of platform maturity and deployment footprint.

Flagship PlatformORCA Hand

AI Stack

Capabilities and model layers highlighted by the company.

01Zero-shot learning
02Reinforcement Learning
03Sim-to-real transfer

ORCA Hand Specs

Published operating specifications for the lead system.

Degrees of Freedom17

Latest Updates

ORCA Dexterity Team

Robert Katzschmann
Robert KatzschmannCEO

ORCA Dexterity History

  1. 2024

    ORCA Dexterity emerges from ETHs Soft Robotics Lab

    Emerged from ETH Zurich's Soft Robotics Lab led by Robert Katzschmann. Designed a 17-DOF tendon-driven hand assemblable in under 8 hours for ~$2,000.

    ETH ZurichSoft Robotics Lab
  2. April 2025

    Open-source publication formalizes the platform

    Published as academic paper in April 2025. All CAD files and code released under permissive open-source licenses.

    Open sourceAcademic paper
  3. March 2026

    The hand lineup expands into multiple commercial tiers

    In March 2026, released three models: orcahand lite ($1,500), standard ($3,500), and touch with 83 taxels per fingertip ($6,100).

    orcahandTactile sensing

Creates open-source anthropomorphic robotic hands for dexterous manipulation research. Self-dislocating joints prevent damage. Fully open-source under MIT/Creative Commons.