Kinova Jaco Assistive Robotic Arm

A Robot Built Around Everyday Independence

Jaco was not created primarily to assemble products, tend machines or serve as an open research manipulator. Kinova defines it as a medical assistive device for people with functional limitations or upper-body disabilities, designed to be installed directly onto a powered wheelchair.

The idea is straightforward: provide the user with an additional robotic arm that can reach, grasp and manipulate objects that might otherwise require help from another person. Kinova identifies applications including eating and drinking, personal hygiene, medication management, leisure, work and school, and personal safety.

The user remains in control. Rather than requiring conventional robot programming, Jaco can be mapped to accessible control hardware suited to the individual. Its Cartesian control system means the user can command the hand to move left, right, forward, backward, up or down while Jaco's internal kinematics coordinate the individual joints. The three-finger gripper then provides direct control over grasping and releasing objects.

Designed Around the User and the Wheelchair

A major strength of Jaco is that the robot, wheelchair and control system are configured as one assistive setup. Kinova says the arm can be integrated with a wide variety of powered wheelchairs, while the final installation is performed by an approved technician and customised to the user's equipment and requirements.

During setup, the technician can configure safety limits, no-go zones around the user's body, control mappings, and home and retract positions. This is important because Jaco operates very close to its user throughout the day rather than inside a separated industrial robot cell.

The available control options also reflect this user-centred approach. Depending on the wheelchair and individual setup, Jaco can be operated using a joystick, head controls, sip-and-puff input or other accessible interfaces. An optional lift arm can further expand the useful workspace by tilting the mounting system forward to improve access to lower objects.

Jaco vs Other Kinova Robot Arms

Jaco stands apart from Kinova’s other robotic arms because it was developed specifically as an assistive device for everyday use rather than as a research or industrial automation platform. In fact, Jaco is closely tied to Kinova’s origins in assistive robotics, with later platforms such as Gen2, Gen3 and Gen3 lite expanding the company’s technology into professional, research and educational applications, while Link 6 moved further into industrial collaborative automation. More recently, Kinova has also expanded into medical robotics with platforms such as KIMA. So while Jaco shares Kinova’s broader lightweight robotic-arm heritage, its purpose remains distinct: helping people with upper-body mobility limitations gain greater independence in daily activities.