Independent engineering project

ORCA Hand Open-Source Dexterous-Hand Reproduction & Design Study

October–December 2025

Independent project · Mechanism, tendon transmission and assembly

Overview

How can an open-source dexterous hand be reproduced as an assembled platform with well-understood transmission and mechanical interfaces?

ORCA hardware photograph from the presentation.

My Work

Mechanism reproduction

Reproduce the platform from the paper, open-source CAD and bill of materials. Analyze joint degrees of freedom, palm load paths, stacked motor layout and detachable pin joints.

Tendon transmission

Reconstruct flexion and extension tendon routing, PTFE guides, ratcheting spools and the GT2 wrist drive.

Assembly and calibration

Study tolerances and the assembly sequence, and reconstruct the calibration workflow linking the mechanism to its tendon transmission.

Mechanism and tendon transmission

The platform reference identifies the mechanical features examined during reproduction, including the tendon path, joint arrangement and tensioning mechanisms.

**Fig. 1.** Reference diagram of the open-source ORCA hand. This is the platform illustration used for the design study, not a photograph of the reproduced hand.Presentation PDF · page 23

Results

Reproduced the five-finger, 17-DoF hand and documented its mechanism, transmission and assembly workflow.