Overview
The arm that built Kinova, a lightweight carbon-fiber arm that mounts on a power wheelchair so people with upper-limb impairments can eat, drink and open doors on their own. Research versions (JACO² and MICO) became staples in 2010s manipulation labs before Kinova moved researchers to the Gen3. The assistive JACO is still sold.
- Type
- Robot arm · Industrial & legacy
- Maker
- Kinova (Canada)
- Released
- 2009
- Price
- Quote only
- Status
- Available
- Best for
- Professionals & labs
- Programming
- Limited SDK
Price and shipping
Sold as assistive medical equipment. Pricing depends on configuration and funding program.
Shipping: Clinical fitting. Supplied through Kinova's assistive dealers with a clinical assessment and wheelchair fitting. Research JACO² units surface used.
Specifications
| Category | Robot arms · Industrial & legacy |
|---|---|
| Released | 2009 |
| Country | Canada |
| Availability | Available |
| Sales | About 600 assistive users worldwide by April 2023 (estimate) PMC (NIH) ↗ |
| Programmability | Limited SDK |
| Built-in autonomy | None / scripted · Moves only when controlled, or plays preset motions |
| LLM support | Possible via SDK · Assistive version is joystick-only, research versions use the Kinova SDK and ROS. No LLM. |
| MuJoCo simulation | Community model · DeepMind's dm_control bundles a Jaco arm MJCF, not in Menagerie. dm_control kinova ↗ |
| NVIDIA Isaac simulation | Official model · Isaac Lab ships KINOVA_JACO2 6- and 7-DoF configs. Isaac Lab kinova.py ↗ |
| Gazebo simulation | Official model · Maker's kinova-ros includes kinova_gazebo. kinova-ros ↗ |
| Best for | Professionals & labs |
| Vision sensors | No vision sensors |
| Actuators | Unknown |
| Audio | No audio |
| Compute type | Proprietary / undisclosed |
| Remote control | Via SSH / web / bridge |
| DOF | 6 + gripper |
| Reach | 900 mm |
| Payload | 1.6 kg (3-finger), 1.8 kg (2-finger) |
| Repeatability | Not published |
| Weight | 5.2 kg (3-finger), 5.0 kg (2-finger) |
| Controller | Embedded controller powered from the wheelchair battery (25 W) |
| Sensors | Joint encoders, research versions added joint torque sensing |
| SDK | Assistive version is joystick-driven, research versions (JACO², Gen2) used the Kinova SDK and kinova-ros |
Common questions
How much does Kinova JACO cost?
Quote only. Sold as assistive medical equipment. Pricing depends on configuration and funding program.
Can Kinova JACO be bought today?
Yes, it is on sale. Supplied through Kinova's assistive dealers with a clinical assessment and wheelchair fitting. Research JACO² units surface used.
Who makes Kinova JACO?
Kinova JACO is made by Kinova (Canada). It came out in 2009.
Can Kinova JACO be programmed?
Limited SDK. Assistive version is joystick-driven, research versions (JACO², Gen2) used the Kinova SDK and kinova-ros.
Does Kinova JACO have AI chat or LLM support?
Possible via SDK. Assistive version is joystick-only, research versions use the Kinova SDK and ROS. No LLM.
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
Related guides
- ROS 2 Guide · the software framework many robots use
- Robot Vision and Depth Sensors · cameras, lidar and other distance sensors
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Image credits
- Image 1: source (CC BY-SA 4.0, Mgomezrobotnik)