Glossary · Hardware
End-effector
In brief
An end-effector is whatever sits at the end of the robot's arm and interacts with the world — a parallel gripper, suction cup, dexterous hand, or task-specific tool. End-effector choice is a major capability and cost lever on any humanoid platform.
End-effector design is task-specific. A warehouse humanoid handling boxes works fine with a parallel gripper. A service humanoid using kitchen utensils needs a dexterous hand. A field-service humanoid swapping tools may need a quick-change tool interface.
Humanoid platforms commonly offer end-effector options: ship with a basic gripper as default, support an upgrade path to a dexterous hand. The interface matters too — a good quick-change wrist plus a software stack that tracks which tool is mounted is a meaningful capability differentiator.
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Glossary entries are upstream. The catalog is where the implementations live.