Nvidia’s robotics push relies on Chinese-developed hands

Wuji, founded by Pan Yunzhe in 2019, relocated much of its team to Shenzhen and has received investment from Ant Group, HSG, and Future Capital. A recent demonstration showcased the Wuji Hand 2 autonomously spinning a pen, even with interference.

During a presentation in Berlin on October 21st, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang featured the Wuji Hand 2 alongside a new humanoid hardware system, the Agile One SN, designed for training robots using Nvidia software. The robot body itself is provided by Agile Robots, which maintains offices in Germany, China, and the U.S.

“It will be the flywheel by which we can accelerate development of robotics,” Huang stated about the Agile One SN, which utilizes Nvidia’s Isaac robotics software and Jetson Thor computing platform. Research institutions, including Stanford and ETH Zurich, are expected to begin using the system in early 2027.

Nvidia’s initial reference humanoid design, announced May 31st, also incorporates a body from Chinese company Unitree and hands from Sharpa, with deliveries scheduled from late 2026. Nvidia has not yet responded to inquiries regarding delivery timelines or whether institutions will utilize both reference robot models.

Sharpa, co-founded by David Li, CEO of Shanghai-based lidar company Hesai, has its manufacturing and research and development operations based in Shanghai.

Keerthana Gopalakrishnan, a research lead at Google DeepMind, recently compared Sharpa and Wuji, noting that the Sharpa Wave is stronger while Wuji hands, though closer in size to a human hand, possess the strength of a ten-year-old.

JoyIn founder Zhu Mingxuan previously described Wuji’s hands as lightweight and effective but prone to overheating, contrasting them with Sharpa’s hands, which she noted are more expensive. She also highlighted the challenges in hardware development, particularly concerning robotic hands. Zhu previously worked at U.S. humanoid company Figure, focusing on mimicking human actions.

As China prioritizes the development of core technologies within its humanoid robotics industry, mechanical hands represent a key area of innovation.

Xiaomi recently discovered, through testing robotic hands in its car factory, that many tasks require only a limited range of motion. Furthermore, Meta has reportedly collaborated with Chinese startup Fourier on a humanoid prototype, according to a report from The Information.