GelSight Svelte Hand
The GelSight Svelte Hand is a novel 3-finger, 2-DoF tactile robotic hand developed by MIT CSAIL for dexterous manipulation. It integrates GelSight Svelte finger sensors, each using a single low-cost camera (e.g., Pi Camera ~USD $20) with mirrors for full-length tactile and proprioceptive sensing via clear silicone coated with metallic paint. Supported by a semi-rigid endoskeleton and soft silicone cover, it performs pinch grasps, power grasps, lateral grasps, and intermediate grasps with high-resolution surface detail capture (<1 micrometer depth) and torque estimation via CNN on LED movements in a flexible backbone.
Robot Specifications
- Physical & Basic InformationPhysical & Basic
- Performance, Sensing & Control
- Software, Logistics & Integration
Hand Type
three-finger
Intended Robot Type
research
Number of Fingers
3
Status
prototype
Thumb Config
opposable
Total DOF
2
DOF Per Finger
2 (One for grasping, one for lateral/mode switching)
Independent Actuators
2 (matching total DoF)
Underactuated Design
yes
Palm Width (mm)
80 (humanoid three-finger scale)
Hand Length (mm)
120 (human finger-sized digits)
Hand Thickness (mm)
25 (sleek finger profile with internal camera/mirrors)
Weight (g)
350 (lightweight tactile design with minimal components)
Finger Link Segments
1 (curved continuous finger shape without distinct phalanges)
Finger Joint Types
flexure (flexible backbone for curvature), tendon-driven (underactuated grasping)
Actuator Type
DC motor (common for low-DoF research hands)
Actuator Location
forearm-mounted (to maintain slim finger profile)
Available Countries
USA (Global via digital distribution of CAD/Software)
Materials
clear silicone, opaque metallic paint, semi-rigid endoskeleton, soft silicone cover, flexible backbone
Image Gallery
Below images are from MIT's official sources
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Q1. What is the humanoid robot hand GelSight Svelte Hand, and what problem does it solve?
GelSight Svelte Hand is a three-finger, two-degree-of-freedom robotic hand developed by MIT CSAIL researchers. It addresses limitations of flat tactile sensors by providing sensing along the full length of curved, human-like fingers for versatile grasping.
Q2. What are the main capabilities and key features of GelSight Svelte Hand?
The hand performs pinch grasps, power grasps, and lateral grasps using fingers with a semi-rigid endoskeleton covered in soft silicone. Each finger employs one camera, mirrors, and LEDs for tactile and proprioceptive sensing over an extended area.
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