Inspire Robots Dexterous Right Hand (RH56F1-E2R)

Most laboratories buy a dexterous hand with one quiet worry: the first time the robot misjudges a table edge, the fingers will pay for it. The Inspire Robots Dexterous Right Hand (RH56F1-E2R) addresses that worry from the inside out. Beneath its six degrees of freedom and twelve joints sits an all-metal, integrated skeleton, so this is a hand designed to be trusted with contact, such as gripping, pressing and bracing, rather than one that has to be kept out of harm's way.

Robots Europa, based in Dublin, sells the RH56F1-E2R to universities, research institutes, humanoid developers and system integrators throughout the European Union and the DACH region. Robots Europa prepares each quotation, arranges delivery to your laboratory or production site and remains your point of contact for technical questions once the hand is in service.

Background

Inspire Robots and the RH56F1 series

Inspire Robots develops dexterous robot hands across several product lines, and its range in the Robot Hands category spans different builds for different research and integration needs. The RH56F1 series is the line built around rigidity. It is offered as a configurable family rather than a single unit. There are right-hand and left-hand versions, versions with or without tactile sensing, and two control-interface options. The RH56F1-E2R is the right-hand version with an EtherCAT+RS485 interface and no tactile sensors. It is the plainest member of the family and, for many integrators, the most direct route to a working manipulator. The wider Inspire line-up is collected on the Inspire Robots brand page.

A metal skeleton and a real-time bus

Two design decisions define the series. The first is mechanical. The RH56F1 hands use an all-metal, integrated skeleton for rigidity, and the series carries a passive payload of 30kg. In practice, that means a hand able to hold a load without being driven, which matters on humanoids that brace against surfaces or carry objects for long periods. The second decision concerns communication. The series delivers 1kHz real-time communication, and the RH56F1-E2R exposes it over EtherCAT. EtherCAT is the industrial Ethernet fieldbus that many European automation engineers already use for drives and I/O, so the hand can sit on the same deterministic network as the arm that carries it. RS485 is offered alongside it for simpler setups and bench testing. The series also passes 20 stringent tests.

Technical Specifications

Specifications as published by the manufacturer; confirmed against the datasheet at quotation.

The manufacturer has not published the palm dimensions, the IP rating, the operating temperature range, the service life, the mounting interface, the software and SDK support or the list of included accessories, so Robots Europa confirms these with you at quotation.

What is the difference between the RH56F1-E2R and the RH56F1-E2R-T1?

The two right hands share the same EtherCAT+RS485 interface. They differ in sensing. The Inspire Dexterous Right Hand With Tactile Sensors (RH56F1-E2R-T1) carries 8 tactile sensors with a range of 30N each. That sensing brings its weight to 630±10g, compared with 615±10g for the RH56F1-E2R. The RH56F1-E2R has no tactile sensors. It still measures and controls force through its drive, with a force resolution of 0.1N and a guaranteed fingertip strength of ≥10N, or ≥15N at the thumb.

The choice therefore comes down to what your controller needs to know. For pick-and-place, teleoperation and grasp-planning work, force control through the drive is often sufficient, and the lighter, simpler hand keeps integration straightforward. Where the research question concerns contact itself, such as slip detection, pressure distribution across an object or learning from touch, the tactile version provides data that the RH56F1-E2R does not.

Should I choose EtherCAT+RS485 or EtherCAT+CAN FD?

Both interface variants include EtherCAT. The difference is the secondary bus. The RH56F1-E2R pairs EtherCAT with RS485, while the RH56F1-E4R and RH56F1-E4L pair it with CAN FD, and tactile E4 versions are also offered. The sensible approach is to match the hand to the network your platform already runs. If your humanoid or mobile manipulator distributes joint control over CAN FD, an E4 version avoids adding a further protocol. If your setup is built on EtherCAT, or you want a simple serial link for bench commissioning, the RH56F1-E2R fits well. Robots Europa can supply either and will match the interface to your controller in the quotation.

Who is the Inspire Robots Dexterous Right Hand (RH56F1-E2R) for?

The first group is humanoid developers who need a right hand that survives contact-rich testing. The metal skeleton and the series' passive payload suit robots that lean, carry and recover from imperfect motions. The second group is university and institute laboratories working on manipulation, grasp planning and learning from demonstration. For them, the 1kHz communication and ±0.2mm repeatability give a predictable platform for repeated experiments. The third group is system integrators building demonstrators or pilot cells, who benefit from an EtherCAT interface that slots into established European automation practice.

Many projects require two hands rather than one. For bimanual work, the matching Inspire Dexterous Left Hand (RH56F1-E2L) shares the same interface and configuration. Teams whose research depends on touch will be better served by the tactile versions, the RH56F1-E2R-T1 and, for the left side, the Inspire Dexterous Left Hand With Tactile Sensors (RH56F1-E2L-T1).

What is the Inspire Robots Dexterous Right Hand (RH56F1-E2R) used for?

1. Humanoid robot manipulation – giving a humanoid a right hand rigid enough for everyday handling and bracing.
2. Bimanual research – paired with the left-hand version for two-handed grasping and object hand-over studies.
3. Teleoperation – mapping an operator's hand motions onto the robot over a real-time EtherCAT link.
4. Imitation and reinforcement learning – collecting repeatable grasp data on a hand with consistent positioning.
5. Force-controlled grasping – studying grip strategies with fine force resolution at the fingertips.
6. Demonstrators and pilot cells – showing dexterous handling to stakeholders before committing to a production design.

Pricing and Availability

Robots Europa supplies the RH56F1-E2R on quotation, so that the configuration, interface and quantity match your project, whether you need a single right hand or a matched pair. Delivery, customs and support are arranged with the quotation. To begin, simply send your requirements through the quotation request form available on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RH56F1-E2R a right or a left hand?

The RH56F1-E2R is a right hand. The left-hand counterpart with the same interface is the RH56F1-E2L.

Which control interfaces does it support?

The RH56F1-E2R uses EtherCAT+RS485, and the series provides 1kHz real-time communication. Versions with EtherCAT+CAN FD are offered under the RH56F1-E4 designation.

Does the RH56F1-E2R have tactile sensors?

No, it does not. The RH56F1-E2R-T1 adds 8 tactile sensors with a 30N range, while the RH56F1-E2R controls force through its drive with a resolution of 0.1N.

What power supply does the hand require?

The hand operates at 24V~48V, with a peak current of 5A @24V.

How strong and how fast is the hand?

Fingertip strength is ≥10N, rising to ≥15N at the thumb, and the hand closes in ≤0.8s. The four fingers flex at more than 107°/s.

Is software or an SDK included?

Software, SDK support and included accessories are not part of the specification sheet. Robots Europa sets out the supplied package in your quotation.

Where can I buy the Inspire Robots Dexterous Right Hand (RH56F1-E2R) and what does it cost?

You can buy it from Robots Europa, which supplies customers throughout the EU and the DACH region. The cost is set out in a quotation prepared for your configuration, which you can request on this page.

Summary

The RH56F1-E2R is built for the moment most dexterous hands are protected from: real contact. An all-metal, integrated skeleton, a series passive payload of 30kg and fingertip forces of ≥10N, or ≥15N at the thumb, make it a hand that can grip, press and brace without being treated as fragile. EtherCAT at 1kHz and ±0.2mm repeatability keep it predictable within the control loop. Its family, made up of a matching left hand, tactile versions and CAN FD alternatives, lets a project grow without changing platform. For laboratories and integrators in the EU and the DACH region who want a dexterous right hand they can actually work with, this page is the starting point.