Robotic hands remain a primary bottleneck for developing functional humanoids, prompting Nvidia to integrate components from specialized Asian suppliers. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently showcased the Agile One SN platform, which pairs the company's Jetson Thor computing architecture with mechanical hands produced by Shenzhen-based startup Wuji. Other designs combine Unitree robot bodies with hands from Sharpa, a Singapore-headquartered firm that conducts manufacturing research and development in Shanghai. Researchers note that Sharpa offers superior strength at a higher cost, while Wuji provides lighter, lower-cost dexterity that faces heating issues.
Key points
Mechanical hand dexterity remains one of the primary hardware constraints facing companie…: Mechanical hand dexterity remains one of the primary hardware constraints facing companies building functional humanoid robots.
Testing indicates distinct performance trade-offs between Sharpa's more powerful, costly…: Testing indicates distinct performance trade-offs between Sharpa's more powerful, costly assemblies and Wuji's lighter, heat-sensitive alternatives.
Major American technology firms including Nvidia and Meta continue to incorporate Chinese…: Major American technology firms including Nvidia and Meta continue to incorporate Chinese robotics hardware into their advanced prototype systems.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Hi, this is Evelyn, writing to you from Beijing. Welcome to the latest edition of The China Connection — a snapshot of what I'm seeing and hearing from local businesses.
Chinese robot companies still underpin many U.S. tech endeavors, especially when it comes to the pain point of robotic hands. Who is one of the latest on Nvidia's radar?
The big story
In just a few months, Nvidia has showcased two humanoid robot training packages: one with mechanical hands from Sharpa, and another with hands from Wuji.
Both have ties to founders in Shanghai.
Pan Yunzhe founded Wuji in 2019, eventually moving much of the team to Shenzhen and drawing backers such as Ant Group, HSG and Future Capital, according to PitchBook. A demo video last week claimed a Wuji Hand 2 could autonomously spin a pen, despite interference.
The Wuji Hand 2 made it onto a slide Oct. 21 behind Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as he told a crowd in Berlin about a new humanoid hardware system for training the robots on Nvidia software. The robot body comes from…
Top official Kim Yo-jong has denounced American allegations tying her country to the historic cyber intrusion, calling the claims a grave political provocation designed to tarnish Pyongyang's international standing. Meanwhile, federal law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity analysts maintain that state-backed actors orchestrated the unprecedented theft. The confrontation has prompted authorities to push the digital asset sector to actively freeze addresses tied to the perpetrators.
Executive leadership under new CEO John Ternus is managing immediate inventory shortages alongside early hardware complaints regarding cracked display folds on the new $1,999 device. The production crunch unfolds as the tech giant battles broader component constraints and elevated memory costs that have pushed hardware prices up by roughly 20% across its catalog. Balancing supply with surging consumer interest remains a major operational hurdle for new chief operating officer Sabhi Kahn.
An intrusion likely powered by an automated framework known as ARTEX penetrated internal business tools after originating from IP addresses in Hong Kong and China. The incident compromised customer relationship management records, including business contact details and support tickets. However, core production infrastructure and customer application data remained completely untouched.