Dexterous hand

Most industrial robots end in a clamp: two jaws that open and close. That is fine for boxes and terrible for a door handle, a zip or a coffee cup.

A dexterous hand has multiple fingers with several joints each, so it can wrap, pinch and roll objects the way your hand does. Each finger needs its own small motor, its own wiring and often touch sensors, which is why the hands alone can cost as much as a used car.

On humanoid price lists, the top configurations are usually top because of the hands. The cheap versions often ship with blunt grips, or with no hands at all.