Ix Tech Neo has a breakthrough 25 Degree of Freedom (DOF), tendon-driven hands for the NEO humanoid platform– achieving near human-level dexterity, strength, safety, and reliability. They will mass produce them.
These hands are designed to do something fundamental: remove the hardware ceiling on what humanoid robots can actually do, and make data the only barrier to capabilities. By matching or surpassing human hands across the dimensions that matter, they ensure our AI models are no longer limited by dexterity. NEO can now perform virtually any task a human can do with their hands– with the precision, adaptability, and gentleness required for real-world environments.
These new hands match or exceed human performance in fine manipulation. NEO can assemble LEGO structures, pick up individual screws and coins from a wallet, spin and install light bulbs, use a screwdriver, rotate objects in-hand, zip a jacket, sort grapes by color, pour tea from a kettle, catch a squishy ball, plug in a USB-C charger, grab a wine glass, wipe surfaces with a paper towel and spray, and communicate via sign language, and infinitely more.
This is what they are shipping not an end effector, but a true instrument. A hand is how a robot acts on the world. The new NEO hands are the most capable ever built across nearly every metric.
Key Technical Specs & Design
25 degrees of freedom total (claimed)
~22 DOF in the hand itself
3 DOF in the wrist/arm
Tendon-driven design using Bowden tubes (bicycle-cable style sheaths)
~20–40 tendons (debate settled around ~22 tendons, paired → ~11 actuators)
Capstan-style rotary actuators (not linear)
Square-profile wires inside Bowden tubes (better compression resistance than round)
Dyneema (or similar high-strength polymer) tendons
Active antagonism (both flexion and extension powered)
Full silicone glove covering (IP68-rated, washable)
Claims of human-level or better dexterity, strength (45 N per finger), speed, and reliability (2 million cycles tested)
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.