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The twelve fields an RFQ needs before a hand vendor can quote
Most hand quotes come back unusable because the request did not say which variant, which bus, or what happens when a finger breaks.
A dexterous hand RFQ needs twelve fields: model and revision, degrees of freedom, force requirement, interface, platform, quantity, delivery, spare parts, warranty, shipping terms, documentation and evaluation terms. Missing any one of them produces a quote you cannot compare.
Why quotes come back wrong
A request that says "please quote a dexterous hand" returns a price for whatever the sales engineer has in stock. That is not dishonesty; it is an underspecified question. The Unitree Dex5-1 and Dex5-1P differ by 94 pressure sensors and share a name, and at least one buyer has ordered the wrong one by omitting a letter.
The twelve fields
| # | Field | Ask for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Model and revision | Exact model string, including variant letters and generation |
| 2 | Degrees of freedom | Actuated count and total joints, stated separately |
| 3 | Force | Maximum fingertip force in newtons, with the test condition |
| 4 | Interface | Bus type, voltage range, connector, protocol document |
| 5 | Platform | Arm or humanoid the hand will mount to, with adapter requirements |
| 6 | Quantity | Units now, units per year, and whether a trial unit is available |
| 7 | Delivery | Lead time from PO, and the shipping term |
| 8 | Spare parts | Price and lead time for one finger, one motor, one harness |
| 9 | Warranty | Term, what is covered, who pays return freight |
| 10 | Shipping terms | Incoterm, packing, gross weight, insurance, who books the freight |
| 11 | Documentation | Datasheet, URDF or MJCF, SDK, protocol spec, CE or equivalent |
| 12 | Evaluation | Return policy, restocking fee, loan or rental terms |
The three fields that save the most money
Field 8, spare parts. A vendor who can quote a finger assembly and a lead time is a vendor with a service business. One who cannot is selling hardware and disappearing.
Field 10, shipping terms. An EXW quote and a DDP quote are not the same price, and the gap is usually the freight, insurance and broker margin that one side is hiding. Ask for FOB or CIF, plus the gross weight and case dimensions, so the logistics can be priced separately.
Field 12, evaluation. Four weeks on your task costs less than a wrong fleet purchase. Ask for the return terms in the same email as the price, because that is when they are negotiable.
A request you can send today
We are evaluating a five-finger hand for [task] on [platform]. Please quote [model and exact variant], quantity [n], with: actuated DOF and total joints stated separately; maximum fingertip force in newtons with the test condition; bus type, voltage and connector; confirmation of platform compatibility or the adapter required; lead time from PO, Incoterm and gross weight; price and lead time for one finger assembly, one motor and one harness; warranty term and who pays return freight; packing details and insurance terms; datasheet, URDF or MJCF, and SDK access before purchase; and your evaluation or return terms.
That paragraph fits in an email and eliminates most of the follow-up. If a vendor answers all twelve, you can compare quotes on price. If they answer four, you are comparing sales teams.
Questions
Do I need a formal RFQ for one hand?
No, but send the same fields in an email. The structure is what makes the answer comparable, not the document.
What if the vendor will not state the Incoterm?
Ask for a commercial invoice draft with the freight and insurance lines shown. If that is also withheld, treat it as a signal about how the order will be handled.
How long should a quote take?
A week for a standard model. A configured research platform can take a month, and that is normal.