Allegro Hand V6

V6 Dexterous Hand – five fingers, 20 active degrees of freedom

The V6 is an anthropomorphic robotic hand with five fingers and 20 actively driven joints – four per finger. It therefore covers most of the range of human grasp types, from a precision pinch with the fingertips to an enveloping power grasp. Spreading fingers with 97° to 130° of abduction and adduction also allow grip configurations that three-finger hands cannot achieve.

The ratio of weight to payload is notable: at 1.24 kg of its own weight, the hand carries up to 15 kg. This is made possible by DC motors with a 288.35:1 geared reduction and 0.92 N·m of stall torque per joint. A joint moves through 60 degrees in 0.15 seconds.

Control runs over RS-485 or Ethernet using Modbus RTU or TCP, or alternatively a manufacturer-specific RS-485 protocol. The control loop runs at 500 Hz, with a choice of position control or torque control with current feedback – the prerequisite for compliant grasping of delicate objects.

Two sensor variants to choose from

• V6 F – tactile: 18 omnidirectional pressure sensors distributed across the fingertips, the insides of the fingers and the palm. The denser coverage when contact detection and grip force control are what matter. A colour indicator at the fingertips makes the applied pressure immediately visible.
• V6 V – visuo-tactile: combines optical sensing with eight pressure sensors – one per fingertip and three in the palm. The choice for research into visuo-tactile perception, in-hand object recognition and slip detection.

Your advantages at a glance

• 20 active degrees of freedom: four per finger, no underactuated couplings
• 15 kg payload: at only 1.24 kg of its own weight
• Fine joint resolution: 0.088° nominal via potentiometer
• 500 Hz control rate: position control and torque control with current feedback
• Open interfaces: RS-485 and Ethernet, Modbus RTU and TCP
• Spreading fingers: abduction and adduction from 97° to 130°

Technical data

Typical applications

• Research into manipulation and tactile perception
• Imitation learning and teleoperation with force feedback
• Handling of delicate or irregularly shaped objects
• End effector on robot arms and humanoid platforms
• Teaching and training in grasping mechanics and control engineering

Note on selection

The choice between V6 F and V6 V comes down to the application, not the sensor count: with 18 sensors, the F version gives denser contact coverage across the whole gripping surface, while the V version provides optical information at the point of contact.