Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/kaYB_Oc64nA
HiveBoard is an open, modular, and fully 3D-printable dexterity benchmark designed for evaluating industrial robotic manipulation systems. The project focuses on reproducibility, accessibility, and compatibility with both real-world robotic systems and simulation environments.
The platform is designed around three principles:
- Low-cost reproducibility using consumer-grade FDM 3D printers
- Modular task expansion through interchangeable attachments
- Simulation-ready assets for robotics research and sim-to-real workflows
The system consists of a hexagonal honeycomb base that accepts interchangeable attachments representing industrial manipulation tasks such as:
- Valves
- Circuit breakers
- Threaded fasteners
- Peg insertion
- Drawer manipulation
- Lock-and-key
- Shock absorber assemblies
All components in this repository are printable in PLA filament.
The HiveBoard base contains seven hexagonal cells arranged in a honeycomb pattern. Each attachment uses a standardized press-fit mounting geometry, allowing rapid reconfiguration without screws or fasteners.
This modular architecture enables:
- Fast task swapping
- Difficulty scaling
- Multi-task robotic evaluations
- Easy extension with new attachments
These tasks evaluate force control and rotational manipulation capabilities.
Included components:
| Attachment | Description |
|---|---|
| Ball Valve | Quarter-turn valve with a lever handle |
| Friction Rings | Snap-on rings (set of four) that increase rotational friction, and therefore torque resistance, on the ball valve |
| Gate Valve (Small) | Compact gate valve with a smaller handwheel |
| Gate Valve (Large) | Larger gate valve with a higher-leverage handwheel |
| Circuit Breaker | Toggle-style industrial breaker |
The friction-ring system gives multiple torque levels on the ball valve without printing additional valves. Each ring sets a different rotational friction.
These tasks focus on alignment, insertion, and fine manipulation.
Included components:
| Attachment | Description |
|---|---|
| Light Bulb Socket | Threaded bulb-and-socket assembly |
| Thread M8 | Small threaded fastener |
| Thread M30 | Large threaded fastener |
| Peg Insertion Plate | Tight-clearance peg alignment |
These attachments challenge grasp precision and fine alignment.
These tasks involve multiple sequential manipulation stages.
Included components:
| Attachment | Description |
|---|---|
| Hidden Push Button | Hinged cover plus button press |
| Lock and Key | Insertion and rotational unlocking |
| Sliding Drawer | Linear motion manipulation |
| Shock Absorber | Multi-part assembly that occupies two adjacent cells |
The composed tasks allow evaluation of multi-stage manipulation behavior under stage-wise scoring.
| Category | Part |
|---|---|
| Base System | Hexagonal Honeycomb Base |
| Torque Tasks | Ball Valve |
| Torque Tasks | Friction Rings |
| Torque Tasks | Gate Valve, Small |
| Torque Tasks | Gate Valve, Large |
| Torque Tasks | Circuit Breaker |
| Precision Tasks | Light Bulb Socket |
| Precision Tasks | Thread M8 |
| Precision Tasks | Thread M30 |
| Precision Tasks | Peg Insertion Plate |
| Assembly Tasks | Hidden Button |
| Assembly Tasks | Lock and Key |
| Assembly Tasks | Sliding Drawer |
| Assembly Tasks | Shock Absorber |
Full Guide: HiveBoard - Module-Specific Instructions.pdf
Recommended Print Bed Size: 300 × 300 mm.
The HiveBoard system was designed around consumer-grade FDM printers with a minimum build volume of 300 × 300 mm, allowing the complete honeycomb base and all attachments to be printed without splitting large structural parts. This ensures better dimensional accuracy, improved press-fit consistency between modules, and simpler assembly across different printers and laboratories.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Material | PLA |
| Nozzle Diameter | 0.4 mm |
| Layer Height | 0.20 mm |
| Wall Count | 4 |
| Top Layers | 5 |
| Bottom Layers | 5 |
| Infill | 20–40% |
| Print Speed | 50 mm/s |
| Nozzle Temperature | 200–220°C |
| Bed Temperature | 50–60°C |
| Cooling Fan | 100% |
| Supports | Only where required |
| Adhesion Type | Skirt or Brim |
| Part Type | Recommended Infill |
|---|---|
| Base Structure | 20% |
| Mechanical Parts | 25% |
| Torque Components | 30% |
| Threads | 25% |
| Decorative Covers | 15% |
| Component Type | Orientation |
|---|---|
| Threads / Screws | Vertical |
| Nuts | Flat |
| Valves | Handle Up |
| Drawer | Flat on largest face |
| Pegs | Vertical |
| Shock Absorber Parts | Sideways |
The HiveBoard project also includes simulation-ready CAD assets suitable for:
- MuJoCo
- PyBullet
- Isaac Sim
- ROS-based simulators
The digital assets contain:
- Joint definitions
- Collision meshes
- Mass properties
- Revolute and prismatic joints
- URDF and USD exports
This enables direct sim-to-real robotics experimentation.
A reproducible operator-driven protocol is provided for benchmarking grippers, hands, and policies on HiveBoard:
PROTOCOL.md: the full protocol, including success criteria, per-attachment timeouts, and stage definitions for the composed assembly tasks.HOW_TO_FILL_TRIALS.md: column-by-column instructions for the trial logging template.trials.csvandtrials.xlsx: pre-populated logging template with one row per trial (5 trials per attachment, 65 rows total). Use the xlsx for filling in (frozen header, dropdowns, color-coded categories); the CSV is provided for scripts.
The protocol prescribes 5 recorded trials per attachment per platform. Operators may control the manipulation system through a teleoperated arm or through a wearable interface or exoskeleton driving a gripper or hand directly. For each trial we record the outcome, completion time, attempts, regrasps, and, for the composed assembly tasks, the highest stage reached within the timeout.
HiveBoard supports:
- Robotic manipulation benchmarking.
- Gripper and dexterous-hand evaluation.
- Teleoperation experiments.
- Wearable-interface and exoskeleton evaluation.
- Reinforcement learning.
- Vision-language-action model evaluation.
- Sim-to-real transfer research.
- Industrial robotics training datasets.
/
├── STL/ # printable parts
├── CAD/ # source CAD files
├── Simulation/ # URDF and USD with articulated joints
├── Documentation/ # PROTOCOL.md, HOW_TO_FILL_TRIALS.md, trials.csv, trials.xlsx
├── Images/ # photographs and renders
└── README.md
- All parts are designed for consumer-grade FDM printers.
- PLA is the recommended material for reproducibility.
- Minor sanding can improve threaded part performance.
- Press-fit tolerances depend on printer calibration; print one cell of the base and one attachment first to verify the fit before committing to a full set.
- Functional parts benefit from slower print speeds.
If you use HiveBoard in research or publications, please cite the project paper:
@inproceedings{hiveboard2026,
title = {HiveBoard: An Open, Modular, 3D-Printed Dexterity Benchmark for Industrial Robotic Manipulation},
author = {<authors>},
booktitle = {<journal>},
year = {2026}
}
This project is intended for research, educational, and prototyping purposes.