Inova, Lattice Demo 18-Motor Humanoid Hand Control
The robotic hand platform, built with Germany's DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, was shown at electronica 2026.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Robotics
Inova and Lattice demonstrated a humanoid robotic hand control platform that synchronizes 18 motors within a single 100-microsecond control cycle. The platform was developed in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics.
Why it matters
Eliminating delay between control cycles supports faster responses and more stable impedance regulation in robotic hands. The architecture is designed to accommodate additional perception sensor data streams from cameras and radar.
The platform synchronizes 18 motors and a 10-sensor tactile array over a deterministic network with communication latency below 10 microseconds and 10 kHz motion control. Commercial availability and production timelines have not been disclosed.
The players
Inova
Inova is a semiconductor company developing silicon solutions around the modular architecture shown in the robotic hand platform.
Lattice Semiconductor
Lattice Semiconductor is a maker of low-power programmable FPGAs, including the CertusPro-NX and CrossLink-NX devices used in the platform.
German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics
The DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics is a German research institute that collaborated on the development of the platform.
The details
The platform uses APXpress networking and Lattice CertusPro-NX and CrossLink-NX FPGAs, with field-oriented control implemented locally on an FPGA at each motor. Motor controllers are daisy-chained over short point-to-point connections, removing the need for a separate sensor wiring harness.
Timeline
electronica 2026: Inova and Lattice demonstrate the humanoid robotic hand control platform.
The Tech Race
The platform reflects a push by FPGA makers such as Lattice into real-time motor control for humanoid robots, a space where DLR's Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics has long conducted research. Its daisy-chained, single-network design replaces the separate sensor wiring that conventional joint-control systems typically require.
The platform's single-network design reduces the sensor wiring needed in robotic limbs, which could simplify builds for developers. Its sub-10-microsecond latency and 10 kHz control rate target the responsiveness needed for dexterous manipulation tasks.
The takeaway
Tighter timing in robotic control networks is becoming a core design goal as humanoid platforms add more joints and sensors. Developers evaluating these systems should weigh wiring simplicity and deterministic latency alongside raw motor count.
Further reading
For more on the research behind such systems, explore Robotics coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Elektronikpraxis.
