Kinova Gen3 Lite
Compact, affordable professional and educational 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
- 5.4 kgManufacturer confirmed
- Payload
- 0.5 kgManufacturer confirmed
- Degrees of freedom
- 6Manufacturer confirmed
- Runtime
- No public data documented
- Max speed
- 25 cm/s (0.25 m/s)Manufacturer confirmed
Canonical robot record
Overview
The Kinova Gen3 Lite is a compact, ultra-lightweight robotic arm that Kinova describes as the new standard in affordable professional and educational robots. It is presented as a smaller and simpler version of the Kinova Gen3, retaining many of the capabilities expected in a professional manipulator while lowering the barrier to entry for academic and educational settings.
The arm features efficient smart actuators with an embedded controller and supports both high-level and low-level control through Kinova's Kortex API. Programming can be done through a code-less graphical interface or advanced low-level features, making it adaptable to a range of skill levels, and curriculums are available for universities and technical schools.
Kinova positions the Gen3 Lite as plug-and-play, portable, power-efficient, and user-friendly, backed by Kinova service, support, and the resources of the Kinova Academy.
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
- 2 linked
- Verification
- Partially verified · 18/19 specs source-verified
- Deployment
- Paid Deployment
- Last verified
- Jul 17, 2026
Key Features
- Six-axis manipulator with smart actuators and an embedded controller
- Both high-level and low-level closed-loop control via the Kinova Kortex API
- Code-less graphical programming alongside advanced low-level programming, plus support for C++, Python, and MATLAB
- Plug-and-play, portable, and power-efficient design aimed at professional, academic, and educational use
- USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi connectivity with ROS and ROS 2 compatibility
Specifications
Grouped technical data with source detail available on demand.
19 documented values
Connectivity
| Communication | Ethernet, USB (USB-A, micro-USB), Wi-FiManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Tool I/O | Base I/O: USB-A, micro-USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi; integrated 2-finger gripper (no open 24 V tool interface)Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Environment
| IP Rating | IP22Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 40 °CManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Mechanics
| Degrees of Freedom | 6Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Locomotion | StationaryManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
| Actuators | 6 actuators (large J2, medium J1 & J3, small J4–6); position/current/voltage/temp sensing, no dedicated torque sensorsManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Performance
| Max Speed | 25 cm/s (0.25 m/s)Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Payload Capacity | 0.5 kgManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
| Reach | 760 mmManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
| Repeatability | ±0.5 mm Unverified |
| Max joint torque | 9.0 N·m joint torque soft limit (all joints)Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Physical
| Weight | 5.4 kgManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|
Power
| Power consumption | ≈20 W average (peak not published)Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| Power supply | 21–30 VDC (24 VDC nominal)Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Safety
| Safety functions | Firmware temperature/torque soft-limit safeties; no mechanical brake (controlled slow descent on power loss); IP22. Education/research arm — no ISO 10218 certification publishedManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|
Software
| ROS Compatible | YesManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
|---|---|
| SDK Support | YesManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 9, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
| Controller | KINOVA KORTEX API; code-less graphical UI; C++/Python/MATLAB; ROS Noetic & ROS 2 Humble; 1 kHz controlManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics |
Deployment and commercial evidence
Deployment evidence
Kinova Gen3 Lite — Official Product Page
Kinova Gen3 Lite is a lighter, more affordable 6-DOF arm commercially available for research and education; shares the same Kortex API and ROS 2 support as the Gen3.
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 | — |
Evidence & changelog
Sources behind this record and material corrections made over time.
Sources
- Kinova Gen3 lite specifications (one-pager) · Kinova Robotics — cites IP Rating, Max Speed, Communication, SDK Support, ROS Compatible, 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-6 verification · Kinova Robotics — cites Locomotion
Record changelog
- Weight: 4.4 kg changed to 5.4 kg · Jul 9, 2026
tranche-6 verification (corrected): Official datasheet: weight 5.4 kg - the spec row contradicted the record's own core weight_kg (5.4), which was already right.
- Reach: 500 mm changed to 760 mm · Jul 9, 2026
tranche-6 verification (corrected): Official datasheet: maximum reach 760 mm. 500 mm matches no Kinova figure (and equals the wrong unitree-z1 reach).
- Communication: Ethernet, USB changed to Ethernet, USB (USB-A, micro-USB), Wi-Fi · Jul 9, 2026
tranche-6 verification (corrected): Official datasheet basic interfaces: USB-A, micro USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi (plus internal 100 Mbps Ethernet). Current value omitted Wi-Fi.
- Max Speed: 25 cm/s changed to 25 cm/s (0.25 m/s) · Jul 9, 2026
tranche-6 verification (corrected): AUDIT FIX: cm/s numeric stored against m/s canonical (same class as tranche-5 gen3 50->0.5). Kinova datasheet: 25 cm/s max cartesian translation speed.
Media
Manufacturer
Canadian manufacturer of lightweight collaborative robotic arms for assistive, research, and industrial applications.
- Headquarters
- Boisbriand, QC, Canada
- Founded
- 2006
