Sanctuary AI/Research
Phoenix
The most dexterous hands in robotics.
- Up to 21 degrees of freedom per hand
- Fingertips that feel a few thousandths of a newton
- Pivoting to sell the hands on their own
Realism index
30/100
Our editorial estimate of how close this machine is to a lifelike human companion — across face, skin, movement and mind. How we score
Phoenix is a bet that the future of robots — companions included — is decided at the fingertips. Sanctuary AI's humanoid carries hands with up to 21 degrees of freedom each, driven by miniature hydraulics and tipped with sensors that register a few thousandths of a newton. By several measures, they're the most dexterous and most sensitive hands in any commercial humanoid program.
Everything else is in flux. Phoenix runs on hydraulics in an industry that standardised on electric motors; it leans heavily on human teleoperation; and in 2025–26 Sanctuary pivoted toward selling the hands as standalone units for industrial arms, amid layoffs and a leadership change. There's no public price and no volume deployment.
It earns its directory slot as the specialist's specialist. A companion that can hold your hand, button a shirt, or pour a glass without crushing it will need exactly what Sanctuary is obsessing over — and nobody is further along on touch.
Our verdict
The case for
- The most dexterous, sensitive hands in any humanoid program
- A strong manipulation-data pipeline with sim-to-real progress
- Hydraulics deliver high power density
The case against
- Leans heavily on teleoperation; not autonomous at scale
- Pre-commercial — no public price, no volume deployments
- Real organisational turbulence and a niche hydraulic bet
What it can do
- Fine in-hand manipulation and reorientation
- A teleoperation-to-autonomy data pipeline
- New tasks automated in under 24 hours
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