Fingertip Force / Grip Force

How much force a dexterous hand or gripper can apply — fingertip force is per finger, grip force is the whole hand closing.

Fingertip force is the maximum force a single fingertip can apply to an object, which determines whether fine actions like pinching, pressing a button, or twisting a small object are possible. Grip force is the total clamping force when the whole hand (or both fingers of a gripper) closes around an object, which determines how much weight it can lift and how securely it can hold on. Both are usually given in newtons (N) or kilogram-force, and they're core specs on any dexterous-hand or gripper datasheet. A bigger number isn't automatically better: too much force without fine control can crush an object, while too little lets it slip, so force-control precision, response speed, and heat buildup during sustained use all matter too. When comparing numbers, it's also worth checking whether a manufacturer is reporting a peak or a sustained value, and what finger posture it was measured in.

ExampleA dexterous-hand spec sheet usually lists both single-finger fingertip force and whole-hand grip force side by side, and the two numbers can differ by several times.

Related

Dexterous Hand · Gripper · Grasping · Friction Cone · Force Closure · Grasp Taxonomy (Power vs. Precision Grasp)

Sources

Grip strength - Wikipedia