Kinova Gen3
Ultra lightweight modular research robotic arm
Price
Price not publicly disclosed
No defensible public pricing observation is documented yet.
Key facts
Values reflect the public record
- Height
- No public data documented
- Weight
- 8.2 kgManufacturer confirmed
- Payload
- 4 kg (mid-range continuous; no gripper); 2 kg full-reach continuousManufacturer confirmed
- Degrees of freedom
- 6 or 7Manufacturer confirmed
- Runtime
- No public data documented
- Max speed
- 0.5 m/s (maximum Cartesian translation speed)Manufacturer confirmed
Canonical robot record
Overview
The Kinova Gen3 is an ultra lightweight, modular robotic arm designed primarily for robotics research and advanced automation. It can be configured with either six or seven degrees of freedom, a fixed or quick-connect base, and a wrist with or without an integrated vision module, letting researchers tailor the platform to their application.
The arm uses smart actuators with integrated torque sensors and supports both high-level and low-level closed-loop control. It is built around Kinova's open Kortex API, with programming support for C++, Python, and MATLAB, plus packages for ROS, Gazebo, and MoveIt simulation.
Kinova positions the Gen3 for use cases such as vision-based manipulation, dexterous assembly, haptics, dynamic grasping, deep learning, and mobile manipulation, emphasizing portability, power efficiency, and a strong payload-to-weight ratio.
RoboZaps maintains this record as part of its canonical robotics database. Specs are source-verified where linked; the record compares public facts across manufacturers rather than representing a single robot maker.
- Spec sources
- 3 linked
- Verification
- Partially verified · 18/19 specs source-verified
- Deployment
- Paid Deployment
- Last verified
- Jul 17, 2026
Key Features
- Configurable in six or seven degrees of freedom with a fixed or quick-connect base
- Optional integrated 2D/3D vision module in the wrist
- Smart actuators with integrated torque sensors and infinite joint rotation
- Open Kortex API with C++, Python, MATLAB, and ROS 1/2 support
- Both high-level and low-level closed-loop control
- Ultra lightweight, portable, and power-efficient design suited to mobile robotics
Specifications
Grouped technical data with source detail available on demand.
19 documented values
Connectivity
| Communication | Ethernet, USBManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Tool I/O | Interface module: 100 Mbps Ethernet, RS-485, I²C, UART, GPIO; 24 V @ 1 A; 20-pin + 10-pin connectorsManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Environment
| IP Rating | IP33Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Operating Temperature | −30 °C to 35 °CManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Mechanics
| Degrees of Freedom | 6 or 7Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Locomotion | StationaryManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
| Actuators | 7 smart actuators (large J1–4, small J5–7) with integrated torque sensors; 100:1 strain-wave gearsManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Performance
| Max Speed | 0.5 m/s (maximum Cartesian translation speed)Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Payload Capacity | 4 kg (mid-range continuous; no gripper); 2 kg full-reach continuousManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
| Reach | 902 mmManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
| Repeatability | ±0.1 mm Unverified |
| Max joint torque | Large actuator 32 N·m nominal / 74 N·m peak; small 13 N·m / 34 N·m peakManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Physical
| Weight | 8.2 kgManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|
Power
| Power consumption | 36 W average (25 W standby), 155 W peakManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Power supply | 18–31 VDC (24 VDC nominal)Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Safety
| Safety functions | Torque sensors on every actuator enable torque-based collision safety; IP33. Research arm — no ISO 10218 / ISO/TS 15066 certification publishedManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|
Software
| ROS Compatible | YesManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics (official ROS repos scope) |
|---|---|
| SDK Support | YesManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 8, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
| Controller | KINOVA KORTEX API; web GUI; C++/Python/MATLAB; ROS 1 & ROS 2 Humble; 1 kHz low-level controlManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Deployment and commercial evidence
Deployment evidence
Kinova Gen3 — Official Product Page
Kinova Gen3 is commercially available in 6-DOF and 7-DOF configurations with official ROS 2 support; widely deployed in assistive robotics and research manipulation tasks.
Introducing ROS 2 Support for Gen3 — Kinova
Kinova officially released ROS 2 support for Gen3 and Gen3 Lite with MoveIt2 integration, maintained at github.com/Kinovarobotics/ros2_kortex.
Integration & SDK
- ROS support
- Supported
- SDK available
- Supported
- API docs
- View docs (opens in a new tab)
- Supported platforms
- Linux, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, ROS 2 (Humble), Python, C++, MATLAB
Support & service
Regions
| Tier | Response time | SLA |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 48 hrs | — |
| Premium | 8 hrs | — |
Evidence & changelog
Sources behind this record and material corrections made over time.
Sources
- Kinova Gen3 specifications (one-pager) · Kinova Robotics — cites IP Rating, Max Speed, SDK Support, Reach, Payload Capacity, Degrees of Freedom, Weight, Power consumption, Power supply, Tool I/O, Operating Temperature, Controller, Actuators, Max joint torque, Safety functions
- Kinova Robotics - tranche-5 verification · Kinova Robotics — cites Locomotion, Communication
- Kinova Robotics (official ROS repos scope) - tranche-8 verification · Kinova Robotics (official ROS repos scope) — cites ROS Compatible
Record changelog
- Payload Capacity: 4 kg changed to 4 kg (mid-range continuous; no gripper); 2 kg full-reach continuous · Jul 8, 2026
tranche-5 verification (corrected): Kinova publishes payload as 4.0 kg mid-range continuous / 2.0 kg full-range continuous (both DOF variants, without gripper). Bare '4 kg' overstates full-reach capab
- Max Speed: 50 cm/s changed to 0.5 m/s (maximum Cartesian translation speed) · Jul 8, 2026
tranche-5 verification (corrected): Value itself is right (Kinova: maximum Cartesian translation speed 50 cm/s, 2024 one-pager and User Guide R07) but numeric_value 50 was stored against canonical uni
Media
Manufacturer
Canadian manufacturer of lightweight collaborative robotic arms for assistive, research, and industrial applications.
- Headquarters
- Boisbriand, QC, Canada
- Founded
- 2006
