Assistive robots for people with disability in Australia

Most robots in the news can't help anyone yet. A smaller group already does real work for people with disability in Australia: robots that help someone eat, arms that reach and grab from a wheelchair, and telepresence robots that keep a sick child in class. Here's what's available locally, who supplies it, what it roughly costs, and where to get impartial advice. Checked 4 November 2026.

By Domestic Robot · Editor: Christian Ganaban · Updated 4 November 2026

Researched, not testedBased on Australian supplier listings, disability organisations, NDIS guidance and research, all linked below, as at 4 November 2026. We haven't used these devices. This is general information, not health, clinical or funding advice: an occupational therapist or other qualified assessor should help decide what suits a person, and only the NDIA decides what a plan funds.

Quick answer

A handful of specialist assistive robots are available in Australia, mostly through disability equipment suppliers on a quote basis. The Obi feeding robot has an Australian distributor and can be hired through MND NSW's FlexEquip service by eligible people with motor neurone disease. The Kinova JACO robotic arm, which mounts on a power wheelchair, is listed by an Australian mobility supplier on request. Telepresence robots help seriously ill students attend school through the not-for-profit MissingSchool. Everyday robots such as robot vacuums can also save effort. Specialist robots usually cost far more than consumer ones and need an assessment, so start with an occupational therapist or your state's Independent Living Centre. For funding questions, see what the NDIS rules say about robots.

Assistive robots at a glance

Type	Example	Australian availability (4 Nov 2026)	Who it can suit
Feeding robot	Obi	Australian distributor (quote only); hire via MND NSW FlexEquip for eligible people	People with good head control who can't lift food to their mouth
Wheelchair robotic arm	Kinova JACO	Listed by an Australian mobility supplier (quote on request)	Power wheelchair users with little or no hand function
Telepresence robot	School and work robots	MissingSchool program for sick students; Australian maker Aubot	People who can't be there in person
Everyday robots	Robot vacuums and mowers	Widely sold; consumer prices	Saving effort on cleaning and mowing
Companion robots	Robot pets and social robots	Widely sold	Comfort and routine, not physical help

Specialist devices are usually trialled and set up with a therapist. Suppliers and stock change, so check with them directly.

Feeding robots: Obi

Obi is a tabletop robot with a spoon arm and a plate with four compartments. The user chooses food and triggers each bite with switches (pressed by hand, foot, head or another body part), and the arm brings the spoon to a mouth position set by a carer. It's made in the US.

Australian supplier: WILA Innovations (North Albury, NSW) lists Obi as in stock, on a quote basis.
Who it suits, according to that listing: people aged five and over with conditions such as MND, cerebral palsy, MS, Parkinson's disease or spinal cord injury. The listing says it isn't suitable for people with chewing or swallowing difficulties or who can't sit upright, which is why a speech pathologist or OT is usually involved.
Hire for people with MND: MND NSW's FlexEquip service lends Obi for up to six months to people with MND who are NDIS participants or over 65, with a short clinical justification from a speech pathologist or occupational therapist. Stock is described as very limited.
Cost: no Australian price is published. A US retailer lists the Obi 3 at US$12,950 (checked 4 November 2026), which gives a sense of scale; Australian pricing will differ.

We couldn't confirm an Australian supplier for other feeding robots such as Bestic.

Robotic arms for wheelchair users: Kinova JACO

The Kinova JACO is a lightweight robotic arm with a three-fingered hand that mounts on the side of a power wheelchair and is driven with the user's existing wheelchair controls, such as a joystick, chin control or head array. It can help with tasks like drinking, opening doors or picking things up.

Australian supplier: Active Mobility (Silverwater, NSW) lists the JACO with “request a quote” and a 12-month warranty. Its listing gives 5.2 kg weight, 90 cm reach and a 1.6 kg continuous payload.
Who it suits, according to that listing: people with upper-limb impairment, such as from muscular dystrophy, ALS/MND, spinal cord injury or MS, who have the understanding and vision to control it.
Cost: the supplier doesn't publish a price. Expect it to be a high-cost item that needs a formal assessment and quote.

We couldn't find an Australian distributor for the other well-known wheelchair arm, Assistive Innovations' iARM.

Telepresence: being there when you can't

Telepresence robots are a screen on a wheeled base that someone drives from home over the internet. In Australia the best-known assistive use is school:

MissingSchool, a not-for-profit, has run a telepresence robot program since 2017 so seriously sick children can join their class, starting in the ACT and expanding nationally through its Seen&Heard pilot from 2023.
Aubot is an Australian maker (Queensland and Melbourne) whose Teleport robot has shipped since 2016 and lists disability among its uses.

Telepresence also helps adults who want to visit family, attend work or join community events without travelling. Our telepresence robots guide compares the models sold here, and the privacy guide covers cameras in the home.

Everyday robots that save effort

For many people the most useful robot is an ordinary one. A robot vacuum or robot mower can take a tiring or painful job off the list, or free up support hours for something else. Points to know:

Choose for the person, not the spec sheet. A self-emptying dock means bags are changed every month or two, not after every run. Simple apps or voice control may matter more than suction.
Funding is case by case. The NDIS treats most standard household items differently from assistive technology, and robot vacuums aren't named either way. Our NDIS explainer covers replacement supports and how to ask.

Shortlists: self-emptying robot vacuums, best robot vacuums and best robot mowers. Choosing for an older parent? See robots for a parent living alone.

Paying for it: NDIS assistive technology in brief

Specialist robots like Obi and JACO are assistive technology (AT). The NDIS groups AT by cost per item: low cost (under $1,500), mid cost ($1,500 to $15,000, which needs written advice from an allied health practitioner or AT advisor including an estimated cost) and high cost (over $15,000, which needs a quote and an assessment by a qualified AT assessor). Any item still has to meet the NDIS “reasonable and necessary” tests. People over 65 use the aged care system instead, and some state equipment programs and charities, such as MND NSW's FlexEquip, lend equipment.

Our NDIS and robots explainer goes into the rules, including for companion robots and household items.

Where to get impartial advice

Independent Living Centres Australia links member centres in each state and the ACT that give information and advice on assistive technology, and many have equipment you can see and try.
Your occupational therapist, speech pathologist or physiotherapist, who can assess whether a robot fits your needs and environment, and write the evidence funders ask for.
Condition-specific organisations, such as MND associations, which often run equipment libraries.

Australian researchers are also working on assistive robots, including Monash University's Assistive Technology and Society Centre, which co-designs technology with people with disability, and a UTS project with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT on a robotic mobility aid for people who are blind or have low vision.

Common questions

Can you get a feeding robot in Australia?

Yes. The Obi feeding robot has an Australian distributor, WILA Innovations, which supplies it on a quote basis, and MND NSW's FlexEquip service lends it to eligible people with motor neurone disease. A speech pathologist or occupational therapist is usually involved.

How much does a robotic arm for a wheelchair cost?

Australian suppliers don't publish prices. The Kinova JACO is listed by Active Mobility on a quote basis. It's a high-cost item that needs a formal assessment.

Does the NDIS fund assistive robots?

It can fund assistive technology that meets the reasonable and necessary tests. Items over $15,000 need a quote and an assessment by a qualified AT assessor; items from $1,500 need written advice. Only the NDIA can decide what a plan funds.

Are there telepresence robots for students who can't attend school?

Yes. The not-for-profit MissingSchool has run a telepresence robot program for seriously sick students in Australia since 2017.

Where can I get advice on assistive technology?

Start with an occupational therapist or other allied health practitioner. Independent Living Centres Australia lists member centres in each state and the ACT that give information and advice on assistive technology.

Sources

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