DOBOT Nova 5 and Nova 2: what they are and where a compact cobot fits
Zeta42 · 19 September 2026
DOBOT designs its Nova 5 and Nova 2 collaborative robot arms for retail, restaurants and physiotherapy. Here is how they compare on DOBOT's figures, and which suits which job.
What are the DOBOT Nova 5 and Nova 2?
The DOBOT Nova 5 and Nova 2 are the two models on DOBOT's Nova series page: collaborative robot arms that DOBOT calls ultralight and designs for commercial work in shops, restaurants and physiotherapy. DOBOT lists six joints on each, and a maximum payload of 2 kg for the Nova 2 and 5 kg for the Nova 5. If your job is light, repetitive and happens at a counter or beside a treatment table, a Nova is worth a look. If it means lifting heavy parts, it is the wrong arm.
What the DOBOT Nova series is for
DOBOT describes the Nova series as cobots for commercial use and names beverage, restaurants and physiotherapy among their applications, with service, retail and healthcare as the settings. On its series page it labels the Nova 2 "For Retail" and the Nova 5 "For Physiotherapy". Both product pages list healthcare, new retail and education as industries adopting the arms.
The design follows from that. DOBOT says a Nova needs only 1 m² of space, that the series is 33% to 44% lighter and 20% smaller than DOBOT's CR arms, and that its palm-sized control box lets it go in without changing a store's layout. The outer shell comes in customisable colours, so the arm can match the styling of the shop it sits in.
DOBOT also says no coding knowledge is needed. You can guide the arm by hand and have it replay the path, or use a graphical interface, and DOBOT says retail and hospitality staff can bring a Nova into a standard workflow once they have completed a training course. Activity monitoring and software upgrades are handled over the cloud.
On safety, DOBOT lists sensors with five adjustable protection levels, a stop within 0.01 seconds of detecting a collision, human motion sensing, and the arm holding its posture when the power is cut. DOBOT also publishes a separate Nova page for industrial work in consumer electronics, semiconductors, automotive parts and light industry. That page also mentions a model called the Nova 2s, so check exactly which version a specification refers to.
Nova 5 vs Nova 2 side by side
These are DOBOT's published figures. DOBOT notes they are results from its own laboratory under controlled conditions and may differ slightly in real use.
- Maximum payload: Nova 2, 2 kg. Nova 5, 5 kg.
- Working radius: Nova 2, 625 mm. Nova 5, 850 mm.
- Arm weight: Nova 2, 11 kg. Nova 5, 14 kg.
- Maximum speed at the tool (TCP): Nova 2, 1.6 m/s. Nova 5, 2 m/s.
- Maximum joint speed: Nova 2, 135°/s. Nova 5, 100°/s.
- Repeatability: ±0.05 mm on both.
- Noise: Nova 2, 65 dB(A). Nova 5, 70 dB(A).
- Power: Nova 2, 100 W typical and 250 W maximum. Nova 5, 230 W typical and 770 W maximum.
- Arm protection rating: IP54 on both.
Both can be installed at any angle, both list an operating range of 0 to 50°C, both use the same small controller, and both are taught from a PC or from an Android or iOS app.
What each arm is built around
DOBOT builds the Nova 2 page around food service. It calls the 625 mm radius and 2 kg payload perfect for restaurant and retail automation, and says one Nova can handle 500 cups of coffee or 300 bowls of noodles a day.
The Nova 5 page is built around massage. DOBOT says its 850 mm working radius reaches massage spots such as the neck, back and waist, and that it runs DOBOT's own precision pressure control algorithm. The page also lists a coffee stand and a noodle shop among its related cases.
How to tell which collaborative robot arm fits your job
- Weigh what the arm will hold. Count the gripper or tool as well as the item. Anything over 2 kg rules out the Nova 2. Anything over 5 kg rules out both.
- Measure the reach. Mark where the base would stand and measure to the furthest point the tool must touch. Compare that with 625 mm and 850 mm.
- Think about the room. At a counter beside customers or in a quiet clinic, the Nova 2's lower listed noise and power draw may matter more than the Nova 5's extra reach.
- Check the temperature. Place the arm within DOBOT's 0 to 50°C operating range.
- Watch the task first. A specification sheet tells you whether an arm can do a job. Whether a robot suits the job at all is answered by watching the task being done.
Choosing a cobot supplier in the UAE
Zeta42 is DOBOT's partner for the UAE and the GCC, and both Nova arms are listed on Zeta42's compact and desktop arms page. On industrial jobs, Zeta42 times the job, supplies the robot, integrates it and trains the operators. In Abu Dhabi, Dubai or anywhere else, the first step is the same: describe the task, the item and the space, and let the figures above narrow it to one arm or rule the series out.
Source: dobot-robots.com