mink
Python inverse kinematics based on MuJoCo
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you are working with MuJoCo-based robot simulation or control. mink is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive license, and solves a well-defined problem (differential IK) with broad robot support. Install friction is moderate but manageable. Not suitable if you need IK for non-MuJoCo simulators or if your robot morphology is not covered by existing examples.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires MuJoCo physics engine and a valid robot model file; Python 3.10–3.13.
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels across multiple platforms (cp310–cp312, macOS, Linux, Windows, musllinux).
- Active maintenance with recent release (55 days old) and 1493 repository stars suggest solid upkeep.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Apache-2.0 is permissive; you may use, modify, and distribute mink freely in commercial and private projects, provided you retain license notices.
last release 2026-06-20 (55 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-11 · 1,493 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 337,911 downloads/mo, #7,442 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install mink
import mink
# Requires MuJoCo model; see documentation for task setup
# solver = mink.IKSolver(...)- Whether qpsolvers and typing_extensions are always required at runtime or only for specific features.
- Performance characteristics and scalability limits for real-time control loops.
- Compatibility with MuJoCo versions beyond what the fact sheet specifies.
What it is and what it does
mink is a Python library for solving inverse kinematics (IK) problems on robot manipulators using the MuJoCo physics engine. It computes joint angles that move a robot's end-effector to a desired position and orientation while respecting joint limits, velocity bounds, and collision constraints. The library supports both single-arm and multi-arm systems, dexterous hands, humanoids, and legged robots, and can handle closed-chain kinematics through equality constraints.
The package depends on mujoco as its core physics backend, qpsolvers for quadratic programming, and typing_extensions for type hints. It provides a Lie group interface for rigid body transformations with native C optimization for performance-critical IK computations. Installation is straightforward across Linux, macOS, and Windows with pre-built wheels, though you will need a valid MuJoCo model and understanding of task specification to use it effectively.
Use it for
- Real-time motion planning for robotic arms to reach target poses while avoiding obstacles.
- Humanoid robot control where multiple kinematic chains and balance constraints must be satisfied simultaneously.
- Dexterous manipulation tasks requiring hand and arm coordination with collision avoidance.
- Legged robot locomotion planning with closed-chain constraints from ground contact.
- Research prototyping of inverse kinematics algorithms on diverse robot morphologies.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you are working with MuJoCo-based robot simulation or control.
mink is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive license, and solves a well-defined problem (differential IK) with broad robot support. Install friction is moderate but manageable. Not suitable if you need IK for non-MuJoCo simulators or if your robot morphology is not covered by existing examples.
Install
mink on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels across multiple platforms (cp310–cp312, macOS, Linux, Windows, musllinux). Active maintenance with recent release (55 days old) and 1493 repository stars suggest solid upkeep.
Requires MuJoCo physics engine and a valid robot model file; Python 3.10–3.13.
License in practice
Apache-2.0 is permissive; you may use, modify, and distribute mink freely in commercial and private projects, provided you retain license notices.
Quickstart
pip install mink
import mink
# Requires MuJoCo model; see documentation for task setup
# solver = mink.IKSolver(...)Verify before relying
- Whether qpsolvers and typing_extensions are always required at runtime or only for specific features.
- Performance characteristics and scalability limits for real-time control loops.
- Compatibility with MuJoCo versions beyond what the fact sheet specifies.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release <3.14,>=3.10 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 3 packagesmujocoqpsolverstyping_extensions |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 55 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 337,911 / month, #7,442 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableFramework :: Robot Framework :: LibraryIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Topic :: Scientific/Engineering |
Evidence: mink-1.2.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux1_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.manylinux_2_5_x86_64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux1_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.manylinux_2_5_x86_64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp311-cp311-win32.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp312-cp312-manylinux1_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.manylinux_2_5_x86_64.whl; mink-1.2.0-cp312-cp312-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl
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