Host speaks with Scott Walter, a roboticist known for humanoid hardware analysis, on The Humanoid Hub about Tesla Optimus hand patents and what they reveal about the hand’s design.
The patents were filed on October 10, 2024, the day Tesla showed the hand at its We, Robot event. Walter says they describe the 22-degree-of-freedom hand associated with the Optimus 2.5, not a future V3 hand. He cautions that patents can protect ideas even when they do not match the final design.
Walter explains that the finger joints use rolling contact rather than conventional pin hinges. A flexible sandwich holds the joint together, allows it to bend along a planned path, and acts as a passive return spring. The design may save space and provide some compliance, though its materials and wear properties need careful engineering.
The patent diagrams show three tendons per finger: two for MCP flexion and side-to-side movement, and one for the PIP and DIP joints. Walter describes a prototype by Plastic Gear that demonstrates these motions using a flexible joint without a separate extensor. He notes that this arrangement may struggle to keep a finger stable under force, especially during abduction.
Walter contrasts the patent’s sheathed tendon routes with the exposed, color-coded tendons seen in later hand images. He counts 17 tendons in that design and says wrist movement can affect tendon tension, requiring compensation. He suspects Tesla may add extensor tendons to stabilize finger positions and improve force control, but says the V3 design remains unknown.
Walter and the host note that public demonstrations have shown finger gestures but little object manipulation with the newer hand. They want to see it hold objects under fingertip pressure, since a hand that looks dexterous may still lose its shape under load. Walter says the patents and visible prototypes describe earlier work, and the production design could change.
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