OpenArm 2.0: Enactic's open-source 7-DOF arm with QDD joints, CAN-FD control and an in-hand camera

Tokyo-based Enactic's OpenArm 2.0 is the current hardware generation of its open-source humanoid arm. The project's GitHub repository describes it as "A fully open-source humanoid arm for physical AI research and deployment in contact-rich environments." Each arm has seven joints and a parallel pinch gripper, driven by Damiao motors over CAN-FD, and the 2.0 gripper has an RGB camera built in. Enactic does not sell the hardware itself. It works with certified manufacturers and other builders instead, and Enactic's purchase page lists OpenArm 2 at $6,500 from WowRobo, its certified partner in Shenzhen, with a 20–40 day lead time. CNX Software covered the release on September 30, 2026.

What the arm is

OpenArm is aimed at physical-AI and teleoperation research. Each arm has eight actuators: seven for the arm joints and one for the gripper. It can run alone or as a two-arm bimanual system with 14 arm degrees of freedom plus two grippers. Most joints are quasi-direct-drive (QDD) with low-ratio planetary gearing. CNX notes one exception: the DM-J4340-2EC elbow motor at J4 is not QDD. The project describes the arm as highly backdrivable and compliant for safe human-robot interaction, and CNX says it yields on contact. The arm has no onboard computer. It is driven from a Linux PC running Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 through SocketCAN.

CNX Software lists the following specifications:

• Degrees of freedom: 7 per arm, plus a parallel pinch gripper (8 Damiao motors per arm)
• Payload, including the end-effector: 4.1 kg nominal, held for 1 minute in the worst posture (arm fully extended); 6.0 kg peak, for a 3-second move into the worst posture plus a 1-second hold
• Reach: 606 mm
• Weight: about 5.5 kg per arm
• Encoders: 14-bit single-turn magnetic, two per motor (output and rotor)
• Bus: CAN-FD (nominal 1 Mbps, data 5 Mbps) with a 1 kHz control loop; classic CAN 2.0 at 1 Mbps as a fallback
• Motor control modes: Damiao MIT, position and speed
• Gripper: 88 mm maximum jaw opening, in-hand RGB camera
• Power: motors run on 24 V DC; CNX gives the OpenArm Cell a reference draw of about 480 W plus a PC
• Construction: aluminum and stainless steel for structural and high-load parts, 3D-printed casings, and a base built on a MISUMI frame

Fitting a tool cuts the usable payload. With a 1.5 kg tool, CNX puts the remainder at about 2.6 kg nominal and 4.5 kg peak.

Software, licensing and version support

The hardware design files in openarm_hardware, which include the CAD, STL files and bill of materials, are licensed under CERN-OHL-S-2.0. Most of the software is Apache-2.0. The main repositories are openarm_hardware, openarm_description, openarm_can, openarm_ros2, openarm_mujoco, openarm_isaac_lab, openarm_dataset and openarm_teleop. The main repository has 3.6k stars, 386 forks and 479 commits.

The README has a table showing which repositories support 1.0 and 2.0. The 2.0 port is not finished:

• The hardware, description, CAN, ROS 2, MuJoCo and dataset repositories support both versions.
• openarm_isaac_lab is still a work in progress for 2.0 and is marked incompatible.
• openarm_teleop needs adaptation and testing for 2.0, and the project points 2.0 users to dora-rs for teleoperation.
• openarm_ker and openarm_ker_firmware work only with 2.0.

KER is a motorless leader arm with the same kinematics as OpenArm 2.0. An operator moves it by hand during teleoperation to drive the follower arm. WowRobo and Cereboto already sell it, but CNX reports that its full release timeline is still to be announced.

Where 2.0 fits in the lineup

Version 1 hardware is still on sale. WowRobo sells V1.1 for $5,400 and Cereboto sells V1 for $5,000, while Anvil Robotics lists OpenArm 1.0 as deprecated. V1 owners can upgrade instead of replacing the arm, since WowRobo and Cereboto both offer V1→V2 upgrade kits, with Cereboto's priced at $1,000. Isaac Lab users and anyone relying on the original teleop stack should check the support table before upgrading.

Vendors and prices

Enactic lists two official partners. RT Corporation in Tokyo sells by quotation, mainly in Japan, and its quality rating is still under evaluation. WowRobo in Shenzhen is rated "Certified (★★★)" and ships worldwide. The purchase page also lists other builders, none of which has been evaluated yet. Prices below are each vendor's own, in US dollars as of October 19, 2026, and the page says they are for one unit with follower end effectors. The GitHub README describes $6,500 USD as the price of a complete bimanual system, so confirm with the vendor whether a quote covers one arm or two.

Cereboto sells V2 both with and without the in-hand camera, so check what each vendor includes before comparing prices.

What It Means for Makers

The CAD, URDF description, CAN library and ROS 2 stack are all public, so teams can collect teleoperation data or train manipulation policies on hardware they can fully inspect. Anyone who only wants to study the design can download the hardware files and the simulation packages (openarm_mujoco, openarm_description) from GitHub without buying an arm. CNX notes support for Hugging Face LeRobot and the mink kinematics library. It also covers OpenArm Online, which lets researchers submit Docker-packaged policies for evaluation in simulation.

Budget for a separate Linux host with a SocketCAN interface, because the arm has no computer of its own. For power-supply and electrical setup, follow Enactic's documentation rather than improvising. For buying, delivery time varies as much as price: Anvil quotes 48 hours and WowRobo up to 40 days. Teams building 2.0 teleoperation around KER should plan on the dora-rs dataflows until openarm_teleop is adapted.

Sources

• CNX Software: OpenArm 2.0 – An open-source 7-DOF robot arm with QDD joints, bilateral force feedback, in-hand camera
• OpenArm documentation (Enactic): Purchase
• enactic/OpenArm on GitHub