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YOU CAN NOW BUILD A 17-JOINT ROBOTIC HAND AT HOME

A research-grade, 17-joint robotic hand with open CAD and print files: build it yourself from a 1,700-dollar parts kit or buy it assembled from 3,500 dollars.

by ORCA Dexterity

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

RoboticsOpen-hardware

Built with3D printing

difficulty
●●●●●
time
multiple weekends
license
CC-BY-4.0
repo
repo ACTIVE215 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a serious robotics project for someone comfortable with servos, tendon-driven mechanisms and Python-based control. The hand started as a research platform at ETH Zurich's Soft Robotics Lab and is now developed and sold by ORCA Dexterity, Inc. The current v2 family comes in two main variants: the base hand with 17 degrees of freedom and no sensing, and orcahand Touch, which adds Hall-effect force/torque fingertips. The CAD sources (STL and STEP) and Bambu Lab print files for both are public under CC BY 4.0, and there is a 1.5-hour official assembly video covering the build, motor cabling and motor configuration. The control software, orca_core, is open source too. The parts kit for the base v2 hand costs 1,700 dollars with Feetech servos (2,500 dollars with Dynamixel), and an assembled base hand starts at 3,500 dollars; the assembled Touch hand starts at 6,100 dollars. Keep in mind that the Touch sensing module is closed-source, so the fully open build is the base hand. The biggest trap is treating this as a weekend beginner project: you are tensioning tendons, wiring and configuring 17 serial-bus servos, and calibrating the hand before it moves well. If you have that background and want a dexterous hand you can modify and fix yourself, this is one of the most complete open options available.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —CAD sources (STL, STEP) and Bambu Lab 3MF print files for the base v2 hand and the Touch variant are public on GitHub, plus silicone skin molds.
  • —The official ORCA Hand v2 assembly tutorial is about 1.5 hours long and covers assembly, motor cabling and motor configuration.
  • —Parts kit for the base v2 hand: $1,700 with Feetech servos or $2,500 with Dynamixel. Assembled hands: from $3,500 (base) and $6,100 (Touch).
  • —Control software is open source in the separate orca_core repository (MIT licence).
  • —The v2 electronics folder includes Gerber files and a BOM for the motor connector boards.
  • —Hardware licence: CC BY 4.0 (commercial use allowed with credit). The Touch tactile sensing module is closed-source.

Parts to buy

5 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • Base v2 parts kit from the ORCA shop$1,700 with Feetech servos, $2,500 with DynamixelFind
  • Driver boardFind
  • CablesFind
  • BearingsFind
  • Tendons and screws yourselfFind

Can I build this?

PrintAll structural parts from the orca_v2 Bambu Lab projects (PLA), TPU skins or printed molds for casting silicone skins
BuyBase v2 parts kit from the ORCA shop ($1,700 with Feetech servos, $2,500 with Dynamixel), or source the 17 serial-bus servos, driver board, cables, bearings, tendons and screws yourself
Tools3D printer (the provided project files are for Bambu Lab Studio), basic hand tools, and a computer to run orca_core
SkillsAdvanced: mechanical assembly, tendon tensioning, servo configuration and Python-based control
TimeMultiple weekends: printing, an assembly that takes about 1.5 hours in the official video for an experienced builder, then calibration and tuning
Cost$$$, driven mainly by the 17 servos; in the official kit the servos and board alone are $1,000 (Feetech) or $1,800 (Dynamixel)
SafetyCheck motor cable polarity before powering up, because reversed polarity destroys the servo. Keep fingers clear of the tendon-driven joints while the hand is powered. No mains wiring or lasers involved in the build.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

ORCA Hand v2 Assembly Tutorial1:32:06

Official ORCA Dexterity tutorial building the v2 hand (Dynamixel) from the full parts kit, including motor cabling and configuration

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Gallery

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Watch the 1.5-hour v2 assembly tutorial (Building with Feetech servos? The order is the same; only cabling and configuration differ, as explained in the video description.)
  2. 2.Get the print files for the base or Touch hand (Use the orca_v2 folder; orca_v1 is the legacy design. Files are CC BY 4.0.)
  3. 3.Install the orca_core control software (MIT licensed; includes calibration, tensioning and motor-configuration scripts)
  4. 4.Decide whether to buy the parts kit or source components yourself (Base v2 parts kit: $1,700 (Feetech) or $2,500 (Dynamixel); assembled hands from $3,500)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • Reversing motor cable polarity during configuration: the official assembly notes warn that reversed polarity will burn the servo. If a connector does not go in easily, it is probably the wrong way round.
  • Underestimating the skills required: this is a 17-joint tendon-driven hand with 17 serial-bus servos, not a beginner servo project.
  • Mixing servo types: print plate 1 (Dynamixel) or plate 2 (Feetech) for the tower to match your actuators, and for Feetech use the orca_core configuration script with the Feetech flag instead of Dynamixel tools.
  • Expecting a fully open Touch hand: the tactile sensing module is closed-source, so if you want to build every part yourself, build the base v2 hand.
  • Mixing up versions: orca_v1 in the repository is the legacy design; the current files and the assembly video are for v2.

What is the difference between orcahand Touch and v2?

Both have 17 degrees of freedom (16 finger joints plus 1 wrist joint). The base v2 hand has no sensing; the Touch version adds Hall-effect force/torque fingertips with 351 taxels across five digits. The Touch sensing module itself (its firmware and hardware) is closed-source and was developed with an industry partner, so only the mechanical parts of the Touch hand are open.

Is firmware included?

Yes. The control software lives in a separate repository, orcahand/orca_core (MIT licence): it handles hardware abstraction, calibration, tendon tensioning and joint-space control, and includes the motor-configuration script used in the assembly video. A web UI (orca_ui) and simulation and teleoperation repositories are also public.

Can I use this for a commercial project?

The hardware repository is licensed CC BY 4.0, which allows commercial use and modification as long as you credit ORCA Hand by ORCA Dexterity, Inc. No patent or trademark rights are granted. The orca_core control software is MIT licensed.

How long does the print take?

ORCA Dexterity does not publish a single print time. The repository ships ready-made Bambu Lab Studio projects with pre-arranged plates and print settings, so your slicer will show the estimate for your printer.

Community builds

No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.

Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

17 joints, open CAD files and an open control stack: would you build the fully open base hand, or pay for the Touch version with its closed tactile sensors?

CompareeTEAM1d ago

This is one of the better documented open robotic hands we have featured: CC BY 4.0 hardware files, an MIT licensed control stack, motor connector PCB files and a full 1.5-hour official assembly video. The $1,700 kit and $3,500 assembled prices come from ORCA Dexterity's own shop and are for the base v2 hand with Feetech servos. The one part that is not open is the Touch sensing module, so check which variant you actually want before you buy anything.

ORCA Dexterity

ORCA Dexterity, Inc. develops the ORCA hand, an open-source 17-degree-of-freedom tendon-driven robotic hand. The design was first published by researchers at ETH Zurich's Soft Robotics Lab (Christoph, Eberlein, Katzschmann and colleagues) in a 2025 IROS paper, and ORCA Dexterity now maintains the hardware files, the orca_core control software and a shop selling kits and assembled hands.

GitHub Web

Star the project on GitHub

DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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