Brainco Revo 2 Touch Biomimetic Dexterous Right Hand (XTR)

Ask a roboticist what limits a grasp and the answer is rarely the motor; it is usually what the hand knows once its fingers have closed. The Brainco Revo 2 Touch Biomimetic Dexterous Right Hand (XTR) is built around that question. It is a bionic dexterous hand for robot integration and research, and in its Touch version it carries a multi-dimensional fingertip tactile module, so the contact itself becomes something a controller can work with.

Robots Europa, based in Dublin, supplies this hand to customers across the EU and the DACH region. Robots Europa prepares the quotation and arranges delivery and support with it, so that a laboratory, integrator or development team can settle the configuration and controller environment before ordering.

Background

BRAINCO and its origins

BRAINCO was founded in 2015 and incubated by the Harvard Innovation Lab. The company is based in Somerville, Massachusetts. Its work centres on bionic hands, and the Revo 2 is its second-generation bionic dexterous hand for robot integration and research.

Robots Europa also lists the earlier BrainCo Revo 1 Intelligent Dexterous Bionic Hand, which is useful for readers who want to see where the second generation began.

Where the Touch version sits in the Revo 2 range

The Revo 2 is offered in three versions, each with a left and a right hand: Basic (XRL/XRR), Pro (XEL/XER) and Touch (XTL/XTR). This page covers the Touch right hand, code XTR. What sets the Touch version apart is its multi-dimensional fingertip tactile module, which the Basic version does not have. The advanced (Pro) and tactile (Touch) versions support three communication interfaces: RS-485, CAN FD and EtherCAT. The interface is located below the wrist.

Choosing a version is therefore mostly a matter of deciding whether the experiment needs fingertip contact data and which bus the host controller speaks. The XTR is the right-hand member of the Touch pair, and its left-hand counterpart is the Brainco Revo 2 Touch Biomimetic Dexterous Left Hand (XTL).

Technical Specifications

Specifications as published by the manufacturer; confirmed against the datasheet at quotation. The manufacturer has not published the package contents, the ingress protection rating, the tactile sensor resolution or the cable length; they are confirmed at quotation.

What does the tactile module add to the Revo 2?

A hand without tactile sensing works from commands and from whatever a camera can see. Once the fingers close on an object, the controller has no direct knowledge of how that object is being held. The Touch version addresses this with a multi-dimensional fingertip tactile module, which places contact sensing at the point where the hand meets the object.

For research, that changes the kind of question that can be asked. Instead of only asking whether a grasp succeeded, a team can examine how the contact developed and design behaviour around it. Teams whose study depends on the module should raise their requirements when they request the quotation.

The remaining features support that work. Control precision of 0.1° gives fine positioning of the fingers, and a pinch force of ≥15N gives a defined grip. Current, stall, high-temperature and anti-collision protection guard the hand during repeated trials, when an unexpected contact is more likely than in a polished demonstration.

How does the XTR connect to a robot and a control system?

Integration is often where a hand project succeeds or stalls. The Touch version supports RS-485, CAN FD and EtherCAT, so it can be matched to a range of controller architectures: a simple serial link for bench work, or a faster industrial bus for a larger system. The connector sits below the wrist, which is where a designer will want to plan cable routing.

On the software side, the SDK supports Python and C and is compatible with Linux, Windows and ROS systems. That covers most research environments, from a scripting workflow on a workstation to a ROS-based robot stack. For installations with two hands, each needs its own address: the default device ID for the Revo 2 right hand is 127, and for the left hand it is 126. Teams building a bimanual setup should note the difference when they configure the bus. Teams should also state the distance between hand and controller when they request the quotation.

Who is the Brainco Revo 2 Touch Right Hand (XTR) for?

The first group is university and institute laboratories studying manipulation, where fingertip contact data is part of the experiment. The second is development teams in humanoid and service robotics, who need a right hand they can address over a standard bus and drive from an SDK they already use. The third is system integrators who want a dexterous hand with defined communication options and built-in protections for demonstration or pilot cells.

Not every project needs the tactile module. Where the work is about reliable grasping and the host controller is the main concern, the BrainCo Revo 2 Basic Right Dexterous Bionic Hand (XRR) is the simpler option in the range. Teams who want the three-interface communication of the advanced version without tactile sensing can look at the BrainCo Revo 2 Pro Dexterous Right Hand (XER). Teams who need both hands for the Touch version should also see the XTL linked above.

What is the Brainco Revo 2 Touch Right Hand (XTR) used for?

1. Contact-aware manipulation research: studying how a hand holds, adjusts and releases an object using fingertip tactile data.
2. Humanoid robot development: giving a humanoid platform a right hand that can be addressed over RS-485, CAN FD or EtherCAT.
3. Controller and algorithm testing: developing grasp strategies through the Python or C SDK on Linux, Windows or ROS.
4. Teleoperation and demonstration work: showing human-like hand motion in laboratories, exhibitions and pilot installations.
5. Bimanual experiments: pairing the right hand with the matching left hand, each with its own default device ID.
6. Teaching and training: giving students a real dexterous hand with protections against overcurrent, stalls, overheating and collisions.

Pricing and Availability

Prices for this hand are given by quotation, tailored to the quantity, the configuration and the destination. Request a quotation from Robots Europa and state the version, the interface you plan to use and the colour you prefer. Delivery, customs and support are arranged together with the quotation. The specifications of the hand are available on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the XTR and the XTL?

The XTR is the right hand and the XTL is the left hand of the Touch version. For the Revo 2, the default device ID is 127 for the right hand and 126 for the left.

Which communication interfaces does the Touch version support?

It supports RS-485, CAN FD and EtherCAT. The interface is located below the wrist.

Which software and operating systems can I use?

The SDK supports Python and C and is compatible with Linux, Windows and ROS systems.

What is the pinch force and the control precision?

The pinch force is ≥15N and the control precision is 0.1°.

Which colours are available?

The standard colours are Space Gray and Silver, and bulk colour customisation is supported.

Does the hand protect itself during experiments?

Yes. It has current protection, stall protection, high-temperature protection and anti-collision protection.

Where can I buy the Brainco Revo 2 Touch Right Hand (XTR) and what does it cost?

Robots Europa supplies it from Dublin to the EU and the DACH region. The cost is given in a quotation, which you can request on this page.

Summary

A hand that can only move is judged by what a camera sees; a hand that can feel can be judged by what happens at the contact. The Brainco Revo 2 Touch Biomimetic Dexterous Right Hand (XTR) adds a multi-dimensional fingertip tactile module to a bionic hand with three communication interfaces, a Python and C SDK, and a full set of protections. For teams who want that contact information in their right hand, this page is the starting point.