DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

Aero Hand

Tendon-driven dexterous robot hand by Chestnut Robotics.

Track Aero HandGet notified of verified changes
Manufacturer
Chestnut Robotics
Form factor
other
Maturity
pilot
Lifecycle
active

Overview

Tendon-driven dexterous robot hand by Chestnut Robotics. Production version: 18-DoF, sub-mm fingertip precision, 0.1 N tactile sensitivity, 20 kg payload, 3M+ cycle lifetime. Open-source version (Aero Hand Open): < 400g, 16 joints, 7 motors, $314, fully open-source. All actuators contained in the palm. 100% backdrivable. Designed for real factory deployment.

Verified vs. claimed

Maturity stage
pilot(Small-scale deployment in controlled or trial conditions.)
Verified deployments
None on file
Sources on file
3 sources, view all

No verified deployments on file. DEPLOY tracks independently-sourced deployment evidence separately from manufacturer capability claims.

Key facts

Type

Tendon-driven dexterous robot hand (humanoid hand component)

Production version

18-DoF, sub-mm fingertip precision, 0.1 N tactile sensitivity, 20 kg payload, 3M+ cycle lifetime

Open-source version

Aero Hand Open: < 400g, 16 joints, 7 motors, $314, fully open-source (GitHub)

Actuation

Tendon-driven; all actuators contained in the palm; 100% backdrivable (open-source variant)

Thumb

3 active thumb DoFs (opposition, pinch, in-hand reorientation)

Control modes

Position control, torque control, inline tendon force sensing

Reliability

1M+ cycle test demonstrated (open-source variant, full speed 5x24 hours)

Specs

Open Source

Name: Aero Hand Open; Price: $314; Joints: 16; Motors: 7; Weight: < 400 grams; Open Source: true; Architecture: tendon-driven; Backdrivable: true; Fingertip Payload: 10 N per fingertip

Production

Dof: 18; Name: Aero Hand; Payload: 20 kg; Architecture: tendon-driven; Cycle Lifetime: 3M+ cycles; Fingertip Precision: sub-mm; Tactile Sensitivity: 0.1 N

Data & sources

Web sources

3

3 sources backing this record.View all →

Safety record

No incidents on record for Aero Hand.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (3)

  1. https://chestnut.bot/master-plan.html
  2. https://tetheria.github.io/aero-hand-open/
  3. https://github.com/TetherIA/aero-hand-open

Common questions

What is Aero Hand?
Tendon-driven dexterous robot hand by Chestnut Robotics. Production version: 18-DoF, sub-mm fingertip precision, 0.1 N tactile sensitivity, 20 kg payload, 3M+ cycle lifetime. Open-source version (Aero Hand Open): < 400g, 16 joints, 7 motors, $314, fully open-source. All actuators contained in the palm. 100% backdrivable. Designed for real factory deployment.
Is Aero Hand actually deployed in the real world?
Aero Hand is at the pilot stage: a trial is reported, but no deployment is yet verified at a named site on the DEPLOY registry. Manufacturer capability claims should be read as claims pending independent verification.
Who makes Aero Hand?
Aero Hand is made by Chestnut Robotics, based in Santa Clara, CA, founded in 2025.
What are alternatives to Aero Hand?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable other robots to Aero Hand include Clean Water Pathfinder, RecycleOS, August Robotics Drilling Robot, Lionel.
How does Aero Hand compare to Clean Water Pathfinder?
Aero Hand and Clean Water Pathfinder (ACWA Robotics · 2 deployments) are both other robots on the DEPLOY registry. Aero Hand has 0 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Methodology: Unreviewed · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-10

Verification posture

Unreviewed

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-10

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: pilot

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: other

Sources by quality tier

2
unclassified
Unclassified source
1
code-repository
Code repository

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Aero Hand.