Nvidia has featured mechanical hands from two China-linked startups, Sharpa and Wuji, in humanoid robot training systems showcased in recent months. Both companies have ties to founders in Shanghai, highlighting the role of Chinese robotics suppliers in U.S. technology efforts.
The Wuji Hand 2 appeared in a hardware system Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang presented in Berlin on Oct. 21. The system, called Agile One SN, pairs the hand with a robot body from Agile Robots and uses Nvidia’s Isaac robotics software and Jetson Thor computing platform. Nvidia said research institutions including Stanford and ETH Zurich could begin using it in early 2027.
Wuji was founded by Pan Yunzhe in 2019. The company later moved much of its team to Shenzhen and attracted investors including Ant Group, HSG and Future Capital, according to PitchBook. A recent demonstration video showed the Wuji Hand 2 spinning a pen autonomously despite interference.
Nvidia’s first reference humanoid design, announced on May 31, uses a body from Chinese company Unitree and hands from Sharpa. The system was scheduled for delivery starting in late 2026. Nvidia had not responded to a request for comment on whether deliveries had begun or whether researchers would use both designs.
Sharpa is headquartered in Singapore and was co-founded by David Li, CEO of Shanghai-based lidar company Hesai. The company has said its manufacturing research and development is based in Shanghai.
Assessments of the two startups’ products point to different strengths. Google DeepMind research lead Keerthana Gopalakrishnan said in a podcast last month that Sharpa’s Wave hand was stronger, while Wuji’s was closer in size to a human hand. In September, JoyIn co-founder Zhu Mingxuan described Wuji’s hands as light and effective at tasks but prone to heating up; she said Sharpa’s performed better but cost considerably more.
Zhu said hardware remains a constraint on humanoid development, with hands a central challenge. Chinese companies are developing mechanical hands as a way to differentiate themselves in the robotics industry. Xiaomi said last week that tests of its robotic hand in a car factory found most of the tasks it evaluated required only a specific range of movement.
Sources: CNBC Markets.