Kinova Link 6
Canadian-built industrial collaborative robot arm
Price
$39,500
Record checked Jul 10, 2026
Key facts
Values reflect the public record
- Height
- No public data documented
- Weight
- 23.45 kgThird-party source
- Payload
- 6 kgManufacturer confirmed
- Degrees of freedom
- 6Manufacturer confirmed
- Runtime
- No public data documented
- Max speed
- 2 m/sThird-party source
Canonical robot record
Overview
Link 6 is Kinova's industrial collaborative robot, designed and manufactured in Quebec, Canada by a company with more than fifteen years in robotics. It is aimed at businesses that want to adopt automation without deep robotics expertise, combining a collaborative, safety-rated arm with an intuitive no-code visual programming interface and strong hand-guiding for task teaching.
The arm features a built-in six-axis force/torque sensor and an innovative multi-usage wrist that feeds power and data through to the end effector, removing the need for external cable management. A colored ring annunciator on the wrist signals the robot's status and operating mode at a glance, and the system natively supports a range of industrial grippers.
The accompanying controller is compact yet built to act as the master of the robotic cell, offering safety and industrial I/O plus fieldbus communication. A containerized plug-in system lets users add feature expansions, and an optional vision module adds depth and color sensing for more advanced applications.
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
- 8 linked
- Verification
- Verified · 16/16 specs source-verified
- Deployment
- Paid Deployment
- Last verified
- Jul 10, 2026
Key Features
- No-code visual programming with fault management for fast onboarding by non-experts
- Superior hand-guiding for intuitive task teaching alongside human operators
- Built-in six-axis force/torque sensor for compliant, sensitive operation
- Multi-usage wrist with feed-through power and data plus a colored ring status annunciator
- Compact controller acting as cell master, with safety/industrial I/O and fieldbus support
- Containerized plug-in system and native support for multiple industrial grippers
- Compliant with ISO 10218-1:2011 and EU machinery directives for collaborative use
Specifications
Grouped technical data with source detail available on demand.
16 documented values
Connectivity
| Tool I/O | Wrist: 8 digital I/O + 2 analog I/O, 24 V up to 4 A, power/data feed-through, optional Gigabit Ethernet + Vision; flange ISO 9409-1-50-4-M6. Controller: 8 DI/8 DO + 8/8 safety I/O, Modbus TCP, USB 3.0Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics (opens in a new tab) |
|---|
Environment
| IP Rating | IP54Third-party sourceVerified Jul 10, 2026 Unchained Robotics (distributor); matches Top3DShop (opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 40 °CManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics (opens in a new tab) |
Mechanics
| Degrees of Freedom | 6Manufacturer confirmed |
|---|---|
| Locomotion | Stationary (fixed-mount arm)Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 10, 2026 Kinova Robotics (opens in a new tab) |
| Actuators | 6 actuators + built-in 6-axis force/torque sensor at the wristManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics (opens in a new tab) |
Performance
| Max Speed | 2 m/sThird-party sourceVerified Jul 10, 2026 Top3DShop / Vention / Unchained Robotics (opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Payload Capacity | 6 kgManufacturer confirmed |
| Reach | 1000 mmManufacturer confirmed |
| Repeatability | ±0.1 mmThird-party sourceVerified Jul 10, 2026 Unchained Robotics (distributor); matches Top3DShop (opens in a new tab) |
Physical
| Weight | 23.45 kgThird-party sourceVerified Jul 10, 2026 Vention (authorized Kinova distributor) (opens in a new tab) |
|---|
Power
| Power supply | 110–240 VAC, 50–60 HzManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics (opens in a new tab) |
|---|
Safety
| Safety functions | Safety functions rated PL d Cat 3 (ISO 13849-1/-2:2015, ISO 10218-1:2011); certified redundant safety I/O (8 in / 8 out); Category 1 e-stop; collision sensing; IP54Manufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics (opens in a new tab) |
|---|
Software
| ROS Compatible | NoManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 10, 2026 Kinova Robotics (official ROS repos scope) (opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| SDK Support | YesManufacturer confirmed |
| Controller | Compact controller (Intel Core i7, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD); no-code visual programming UI; containerized plug-ins; Fieldbus supportManufacturer confirmedVerified Jul 13, 2026 Kinova Robotics (opens in a new tab) |
Evidence & changelog
Sources behind this record and material corrections made over time.
Sources
- Unchained Robotics (distributor); matches Top3DShop - tranche-8 verification (opens in a new tab) · Unchained Robotics (distributor); matches Top3DShop — cites IP Rating, Repeatability
- Vention (authorized Kinova distributor) - tranche-8 verification (opens in a new tab) · Vention (authorized Kinova distributor) — cites Weight
- Top3DShop / Vention / Unchained Robotics - tranche-8 verification (opens in a new tab) · Top3DShop / Vention / Unchained Robotics — cites Max Speed
- Kinova Robotics launch release ('reach of 1000 mm'); matches Vention, Unchained, RoboDK - tranche-8 verification (opens in a new tab) · Kinova Robotics launch release ('reach of 1000 mm'); matches Vention, Unchained, RoboDK — cites Reach, Payload Capacity, Degrees of Freedom
- Kinova Robotics - tranche-8 verification (opens in a new tab) · Kinova Robotics — cites Locomotion
- Kinova Robotics (official GitHub: Kortex 3 API code examples for Link 6; Python high-level control in Kortex API 3.2) - tranche-8 verification (opens in a new tab) · Kinova Robotics (official GitHub: Kortex 3 API code examples for Link 6; Python high-level control in Kortex API 3.2) — cites SDK Support
- Kinova Robotics (official ROS repos scope) - tranche-8 verification (opens in a new tab) · Kinova Robotics (official ROS repos scope) — cites ROS Compatible
- Kinova Link 6 specifications (one-pager) (opens in a new tab) · Kinova Robotics — cites Power supply, Tool I/O, Operating Temperature, Controller, Actuators, Safety functions
Record changelog
- ROS Compatible: true changed to false · Jul 10, 2026
tranche-8 verification (corrected): CROSS-RECORD BLEED suspected: Kinova's official ROS packages (ros_kortex, ros2_kortex) explicitly support Gen3/Gen3 lite only — no Link 6 driver exists as of 2026-0
- Locomotion: Wheeled changed to Stationary (fixed-mount arm) · Jul 10, 2026
tranche-8 verification (corrected): FABRICATED: Link 6 is a table/floor/ceiling-mountable industrial cobot arm (mounting direction: all directions). It has no wheels or mobile base. Row should be corr
- Payload Capacity: 4 kg per arm changed to 6 kg · Jul 10, 2026
tranche-8 verification (corrected): CROSS-RECORD BLEED: 4 kg is the Gen3 payload. 'Per arm' phrasing is nonsensical for a single-arm cobot. Link 6 payload = 6 kg (full-range).
- Reach: 902 mm changed to 1000 mm · Jul 10, 2026
tranche-8 verification (corrected): CROSS-RECORD BLEED: 902 mm is the Kinova Gen3 (7DoF) reach, not Link 6. Link 6 reach = 1000 mm.
- Max Speed: 1.85 m/s changed to 2 m/s · Jul 10, 2026
tranche-8 verification (corrected): Stored 1.85 m/s matches no source found (appears fabricated/interpolated). Two distributors state 2 m/s max linear TCP speed; joint speeds J1-J3 180 deg/s, J4-J6 30
Manufacturer
Canadian manufacturer of lightweight collaborative robotic arms for assistive, research, and industrial applications.
- Headquarters
- Boisbriand, QC, Canada
- Founded
- 2006
