Hand record · United Kingdom (London)
Shadow Dexterous Hand
The highest-fidelity anthropomorphic hand on the market and the only major hand with no published price at all: every unit is built to order and priced per project.
- Actuated DOF
- 2024 movements incl. wrist
- Mass
- 4.2 kg
- Price observed
- Quote only
- Evidence tier
- D
Shadow's hand is the reference for anthropomorphic fidelity: five fingers, 24 movements, 20 actuated degrees of freedom, tendon routing that mimics human anatomy, and enough sensing to support research that depends on where contact happens rather than just how hard. It has been sold since 2008 and appears in more published manipulation work than any other hand.
It is also the one hand in this index with no price. The company's own site states that every robot is built to order and tailored to the buyer's requirements, and directs buyers to contact the team to discuss pricing. That is a sales model, not a missing number, and it is why this record carries tier D: quote only.
The figures that circulate
Third-party sources put the hand at roughly $110,000, described in one Chinese industry survey as 20 DOF with 1 mm accuracy, 36 pneumatic tendons and 4.3 kg including the forearm. A 2026 market report characterizes the historical price as about 1.5 million RMB, with high-end configurations quoted at 1.6 to 2.6 million RMB. Those are real observations. None is a Shadow price list, and converting them into a time series across exchange rates would produce a number that looks precise and means nothing.
20 or 24 degrees of freedom
Both numbers circulate and they are not a contradiction. Shadow's site describes 24 movements and 20 degrees of freedom. Some market reports say 24 DOF, counting joints rather than actuators. This record keeps both, and the counting guide explains why the same hand can be quoted three different ways.
Why quote-only is a procurement fact
If you are writing a budget, you cannot cite a public price. You need a written quotation with configuration, warranty and lead time, and that quotation will not be comparable to a $2,066 kit listing. Any RFQ that puts a configured research system next to an off-the-shelf product without saying so is misleading its own approvers.
A price history for this hand will only be built retroactively, from purchase disclosures, grant records, paper acknowledgements and archived dealer pages. That is the kind of record this site is set up to accumulate, and it is why the Shadow price page exists even though it has no price on it.
Specification
The right-hand column records where each field comes from: vendor documentation, a dealer page, or a conflict between sources. Fields marked unverified have no attributable public value.
Price observations
| Item | Channel | Price | Date | Includes | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexterous Hand | Vendor | Quote only | 2026 | Built to order, configured per project | D |
| Dexterous Hand | US dealer comparison | ~$110,000 | 2025 | Dealer list figure, configuration not stated | C |
| Dexterous Hand, historical | Market report | ~1,500,000 RMB | 2026 | Retrospective characterization | C |
| High-end configurations | Chinese press table | 1,600,000–2,600,000 RMB | 2026 | Described as past quotations | C |
Tier A: documented list price. B: sources disagree by more than 15%. C: estimate or press figure. D: quote only. See methodology.
What is not verified
- No dated Shadow price list exists in public.
- The $110,000 dealer figure has not been confirmed as current.
- No public purchase disclosure or grant record has been located yet.
Questions buyers ask
How much does a Shadow Dexterous Hand cost?
There is no published list price. Third-party sources report about $110,000 or 1.5 million RMB, with high-end configurations quoted higher. The vendor asks buyers to request a quote.
Is it 20 DOF or 24 DOF?
Both. Shadow describes 24 movements and 20 actuated degrees of freedom. Reports that say 24 are counting joints.
Why does this record have no price row?
Because a record should not invent a number. The tier D grade means quote only, and the third-party figures are kept separate with their own labels.
Sources
- Shadow Robot Company. Dexterous Hand product page and newsroom. 2026
- US dealer comparison. Listed price. 2025
- Market report on Chinese hand pricing. Historical RMB characterization. 2026
- Chinese industry survey. DOF, accuracy, tendon and mass fields. 2026
Record log
- Record created. Third-party figures separated from vendor statements.