Comparison
Unitree Dex5-1 vs Dex5-1P: what the P adds
The same hand, twice. Ninety-four pressure sensors and about $2,000–3,000 are the entire difference, and an RFQ that omits the letter gets you the wrong one.
The P is a sensing package, not a new generation. Every mechanical field is identical. The P carries 94 pressure sensors in 12 arrays plus two extra feedback fields, for roughly 8–12% more money.
| Field | Dex5-1 | Dex5-1P |
|---|---|---|
| Mass | 1,100 g | 1,100 g |
| Dimensions | 217.3 × 127.5 × 72.1 mm | Identical |
| DOF | 20 (16 active, 4 passive) | Identical |
| Fingertip force | 10 N | 10 N |
| Repeatability | ±1 mm | ±1 mm |
| Supply | 24–60 V | 24–60 V |
| Interface | USB 2.0, 1,000 Hz | Identical |
| Pressure arrays | None | 12 arrays, 94 sensors |
| Sensing range | — | 10–2,500 g |
| Feedback | Joint, position, velocity, torque, temperature, voltage, current, IMU | Same plus sensor pressure and temperature |
| US street price | $24,000 | $26,000–$27,000 |
Read the vendor table, not the coverage
Most articles quote "20 DOF and 94 tactile sensors" as if they describe one product. Unitree's own two-column table shows the sensors belong to one variant, and the merged table on that page is easy to misread. A buyer who writes "Dex5-1" and expects pressure data will receive a hand without it.
The standard hand is not blind
Unitree describes 12 micro force-controlled composite joints that provide force proprioception without tactile sensors. That is a real capability and it is easy to misread as marketing. The standard hand reports joint torque and reacts to contact. What it cannot do is localize contact on a fingertip, which is what a 2×3 array per pad gives you.
When the P is worth the premium
- Slip detection and grip-force modulation during a grasp.
- Insertion or assembly tasks where the contact point moves across the finger pad.
- Any dataset where contact location is a label, not an afterthought.
When it is not: power grasps, pick-and-place, and anything where the composite joints already give you the force signal you need. The 8–12% premium is small in absolute terms, but only if the data is going to be used.
The compatibility trap
A dealer states the Dex5 hands work only with the G1 EDU (U1) platform and above. If you plan to mount one on a research arm, that constraint, not the sensor count, is the deciding factor. The RFQ template has a field for it.
Questions
Is the P a newer model?
No. Same mechanics, same mass, same interface. It is a sensing variant of the same hand.
Does the standard Dex5-1 have force feedback?
Yes, through force-controlled composite joints. It reports joint torque but not the location of contact on a fingertip.