The progress in building capable robotic hands has been slow.
An important factor that has affected the progress in this field
is the lack of easily obtainable, low cost experimental robotic
hands that can be used as test beds. The high cost and
difficulty of building a robotic hand, along with the associated
electronics, control systems, and integrated sensing has led to
a serious lack of experimental devices in the field. In fact, were
one desirous of purchasing a robotic hand today, there appear
to be few, if any, available. Custom designs exist, but usually
are lacking in the higher levels of system integration that can
turn a mechanical device into a full-fledged grasping system.