How to build RUKA Hand
11-DoF dexterous robot hand · Intermediate
Build NYU's RUKA: a five-finger tendon-driven hand with 15 joints on 11 Dynamixel XL330s, learned controllers, under $1,300 and about 7 hours to assemble.
Some soldering, calibration and Linux comfort needed.
Based on the project's guide, part-time
Under $1,300 per the project site
MIT (code)
What is RUKA Hand?
RUKA is a humanoid hand from Lerrel Pinto's lab at NYU, presented at RSS 2025. It has five fingers and 15 underactuated joints, pulled by tendons from 11 Dynamixel XL330 motors, in a human-sized package made from printed parts and off-the-shelf components.
Tendon hands are hard to control precisely, so RUKA learns its way around the problem. The team recorded motion-capture data with a MANUS glove and trained per-finger models that map joint angles or fingertip positions to motor commands.
The project site says the hand costs under $1,300 and assembles in under seven hours with common tools. Code is MIT-licensed.
RUKA Hand specifications
- Fingers
- 5
- Joints
- 15 underactuated
- Motors
- 11× Dynamixel XL330-M288-T
- Interface
- U2D2 over USB
- Teleop
- MANUS glove or Quest via OpenTeach
Figures as published by the project. See Sources below.
Bill of materials
| Part | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamixel XL330-M288-T | 11 | |
| ROBOTIS U2D2 | 1 | |
| 5 V power supply | 1 | |
| Braided fishing line, PTFE tubing, dowel pins, springs, brass inserts | — | |
| Printed palm and finger plates | — | Pulleys and finger parts at 100% infill |
| MANUS glove or Quest headset | — | Optional, for teleoperation |
Where's the full bill of materials?
The full BOM, with exact quantities and vendors, lives in the project's own files. Prices change often, so treat $1,300 as a ballpark from the project. Start at the project repository.
Tools you'll need
- FDM printer
- Soldering iron for inserts
- Hex keys
- Scissors and lighter for tendon line
Step-by-step build overview
Electronics & wiring overview
The 11 motors daisy-chain on one Dynamixel bus to a U2D2, with a 5 V supply for power. Each hand gets its own USB port.
Software
The Python package handles calibration, the learned encoder/decoder controllers, and teleop from a MANUS glove or a Quest headset through OpenTeach.
Tips from the bench
- ☕ Download the OSF checkpoints before your first test; the controllers depend on them.
- ☕ Recalibrate after re-tensioning any finger.
RUKA Hand FAQ
How much does RUKA cost?
The team says under $1,300 in parts.
How many motors does it use?
Eleven Dynamixel XL330s drive its 15 tendon-coupled joints.
Why does it need learned controllers?
Tendon coupling makes the mapping from motors to joints nonlinear, so RUKA learns it from glove data instead of modelling it by hand.
Sources
Written by Bots n' Beans from the project's own documentation. Check the sources for the latest revision before you buy parts.
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