Dex3-1 vs Dex5-1P vs Inspire — Choosing a Dexterous Hand for Unitree G1 and H1
A comparison of three dexterous hands for the Unitree G1 and H1 humanoids: Dex3-1 (3 fingers, 7 DOF), Dex5-1P (5 fingers, 20 DOF, 94 tactile sensors), Inspire Robotics RH56DFX. Which to choose for research, manipulation or production.
In short: Dex3-1 is the most practical choice for most manipulation and pick-and-place tasks; 3 fingers with 7 DOF give enough grasping with simple control. Dex5-1P is the flagship with 5 fingers, 20 DOF and 94 tactile sensors for complex manipulation and AI training. Inspire RH56DFX is an anthropomorphic alternative focused on maximum human-hand resemblance. For research teams in Kazakhstan, Unitree Dex3 / Dex5 are optimal — they ship officially via Alashed and integrate with G1 and H1 out of the box.
This article is for research teams, R&D divisions, humanoid app developers choosing a hand for G1 or H1 for manipulation, imitation learning, RL or industrial automation projects.
Spec comparison
| Parameter | Unitree Dex3-1 | Unitree Dex5-1P | Inspire Robotics RH56DFX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fingers | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Degrees of freedom (DOF) | 7 | 20 | 12 |
| Tactile sensors | 33 | 94 | Optional |
| Compatibility | G1 | H1, G1 (EDU) | Universal, G1/H1 via adapter |
| Distribution | Via Unitree.kz | Via Unitree.kz | Via Chinese partners |
| SDK | Open ROS2 | Open ROS2 | Closed/semi-closed |
| Size | Close to human | Anthropomorphic | Anthropomorphic |
| Use case | Pick-and-place, basic manipulation | Complex manipulation, AI training | Production, mimicking |
When to pick which hand
Dex3-1 — for most tasks
3 fingers are enough for the vast majority of grasp, transport, button-press, door-opening tasks. Simple control, easier training, easier debugging. Fits education projects with G1, pilot industrial tasks, teams just beginning manipulation research.
Dex5-1P — for AI/ML and complex manipulation
5 fingers with 20 DOF and 94 tactile sensors is a researcher's tool. 94 tactile sensors give a "sense of touch" — critical for training imitation and reinforcement learning models. Fits teams training their own VLA models, working on assembly tasks, medical robotics.
Inspire RH56DFX — anthropomorphic alternative
Anthropomorphic design with a focus on visual resemblance to a human hand. Good for immersive shows and presentations where "looking like a human" matters. Less practical for R&D in KZ due to delivery and integration complexity — you have to work through Chinese partners directly.
Integration with G1 and H1
Dex3 and Dex5 ship with G1 EDU U3+ or H1 as native options — "out of the box" with ready ROS2 packages and examples. Inspire requires custom integration via adapter and proprietary software. This affects time-to-first-result: with Unitree Dex the team gets a working hand and base scenarios in days; with Inspire — weeks.
accessory
Unitree Dex3-1
Силоуправляемая трёхпальцевая рука
3-finger hand for G1. 7 DOF, 33 tactile sensors. Baseline choice for most manipulation tasks.
accessory
Unitree Dex5-1P
Тактильная 5-палая декстерная рука
5-finger flagship hand. 20 DOF, 94 tactile sensors. For AI training and complex manipulation.
humanoid
Unitree G1
Гуманоидный AI-аватар
G1 EDU U3+ humanoid — ships with native Dex3 and Dex5 support.
humanoid
Unitree H1
Первый универсальный гуманоид
H1 humanoid — the standard platform for Dex5-1P R&D research.
FAQ
Can I mount Dex5-1P on baseline G1?
No. Dex5-1P is compatible with G1 EDU U3 and above, and with H1. The baseline G1 Basic does not have the required interface. To upgrade, you need EDU configuration — agreed at order.
Why 94 tactile sensors?
Tactile feedback is a key signal for training neural manipulation models (imitation learning, RL). Without it the robot doesn't "feel" the object and learns fine work poorly. 94 sensors give density sufficient for most research and production tasks.
How durable are dexterous hands?
All three are designed for lab and industrial use. Not intended for heavy load (10+ kg) or impacts. For heavy assembly tasks dedicated industrial grippers or cobots are used.
What about training and SDK?
Unitree Dex3 and Dex5 ship with an open Python / C++ SDK, ROS2 support, examples for MuJoCo and Isaac Sim. Inspire has a less open ecosystem; you'll need custom code for most tasks.
Can dexterous hands be used without the humanoid?
Yes — as a stationary manipulator on a table, or together with a robotic arm (Z1) and a G1-D platform for data collection. This is a popular configuration for imitation learning.
Источники
- Unitree Dex3-1 — official — Unitree Robotics
- Unitree Dex5-1P — official — Unitree Robotics
- Inspire Robotics — Inspire Robotics
- Dex5-1P в каталоге Unitree.kz — Unitree.kz
Получите расчёт под вашу задачу
Цена зависит от конфигурации и комплектации. Инженер Alashed соберёт КП и предложит подходящую модель Unitree за 30 минут.