Proception at IROS 2026: ProHand 2 Power Makes Its Debut

Overview
A lot has changed since ICRA in Vienna. We launched a new generation of our hand, started shipping to customers, and got to see real teams putting our hardware to work. IROS 2026 in Pittsburgh was our first chance to bring all of that back to the robotics community, catch up with customers in person, and hear what's working. The conversations we had there will shape what we build next.

ProHand 2 Power, live for the first time
IROS was the public debut of ProHand 2 Power. Our favorite part of the week was simple: just about everyone who stopped by Booth 628 got a firm handshake from the hand. It was a fun way to break the ice, and it showed off the strength and human-like feel we've worked hard on more than any spec sheet could.

We also got great feedback on how ProHand and ProGlove work together. Hearing researchers confirm that co-designing the glove and the hand side by side is the right approach was reassuring. Human data collected with the glove maps directly onto the hand, and people really got that.

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Catching up with customers
IROS was also our first conference since we started shipping, so it was great to meet some of our customers in person. We talked through what they're working on, how the hardware is holding up in their labs, and what they'd like to see next. That kind of direct feedback is a big part of how we decide what to build.

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What we heard
A few themes kept coming up at the booth:

• Dexterity is having its moment. Dexterous manipulation used to be a niche topic. Now teams are going deep on it, because more and more people see that the hard, valuable problems in robotics need real hands.
• Tactile sensing matters. Researchers increasingly see touch as essential to manipulation, not a nice-to-have. That's been core to our approach from day one, so it was great to hear.
• New faces in robotics. We met a lot of professors and students who are newer to robotics, especially people coming over from computer vision. The field is growing fast, and it's exciting to see so much new talent bringing fresh ideas.

Why academia matters to us
Professors and students are shaping where dexterous manipulation goes next. Spending a week with them reminded us why we build what we build. Our goal is to give these researchers hardware they can count on, so they can focus on the research itself.

Our first event: Handshake
On September 29, we hosted Handshake, our first-ever community event, at Ruckus Cafe in downtown Pittsburgh. Over coffee, we had great conversations with researchers, students, and builders from the local robotics community and beyond. It won't be the last one.

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What's next
Our team flew home to Mountain View with a lot of notes and even more ideas. Like ICRA, IROS was a milestone, not a finish line. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, shook a hand, and shared their thoughts. We'll see you at the next one.

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