EXCLUSIVE: Inside Kyber Labs’ Breakthrough Robot Hand

In this talk

1. 0:42

   Hand design and actuation

   Walter and Anderson estimate the hand has 20 degrees of freedom and discuss how its thumb, finger joints, and abduction work. Habalski confirms 20 degrees of freedom and 40 tendons, with dedicated tendons for flexion and abduction. He says independent finger control helps the team know each fingertip’s position without adding sensors to the fingers.

2. 15:56

   Motors, sensing, and durability

   Habalski says the forearm contains 20 frameless brushless motors, built in-house from magnets and coils to balance cost, torque, and heat management. The motors’ position sensors are the hand’s only sensors; rising drive current as a motor encounters resistance helps detect contact. The team uses motor feedback to compensate for tendon slack, and says its split-finger construction makes tendons easier to access and service.

3. 26:41

   A modular platform for practical work

   Kyber Labs is developing a modular hand-based platform for assembly, maintenance, and logistics, rather than building a complete humanoid robot. Habalski points to tasks such as assembling parts at a desk, handling bins, and tending machines, where a versatile hand could reduce reliance on specialized grippers or human assistance. He says the company is evaluating whether it needs a wrist and wants to avoid adding hardware before use cases require it.

4. 39:15

   Customers, pilots, and research access

   Habalski says Kyber Labs is preparing for seed fundraising and has prospective customers with defined applications. The company plans to begin pilots in 2026 and offer about 50 hands as grants to research groups. Its software plan combines scripted tasks with machine learning for harder, specific actions, with the aim of carrying useful research into industrial deployments.

5. 35:23

   Cost, heat, and supply chains

   Habalski describes grip strength as roughly human-like, with sustained performance limited by heat. He says the shared metal structure helps distribute heat across the motors and keeps the system compact and less costly. The team is building much of the system in-house, while sourcing magnets from China and currently manufacturing overseas to iterate quickly.