Chinese startup Kepler Robotics just unveiled its new AI powered humanoid robot, the Forerunner K2.
Noting that Tesla is on the verge of mass producing its Optimus humanoid robot, Kepler said the K2 robot is on an accelerated track toward commercialization. According to the Shanghai-based firm, the robot has entered the testing phase in actual customer environments. The Forerunner K2 has a reported 52 degrees of freedom.
The dexterity puts the K2 in the same league as NASA’s Robonaut R2, which was designed for complex and precise tasks in space. It’s also in the same range as the GR-2 from fellow China-based robotics firm, Fourier.
The K2 has 11 degrees of freedom (DoF) per hand, which is the same as the Generation 2 Tesla Bot. However, a next generation iteration of the Optimus hand reportedly has 22 DoF, which Elon Musk has said allows it to perform virtually any task a human can do.
The K2 can carry up to 15 kg (or 33 lbs) in each hand. New tactile sensors, including 96 contact points on each fingertip, enhance precision.
The launch comes less than a year after Kepler introduced its first generation humanoid, the Forerunner K1.
The Gen 2 bot upgrades include improved dynamic perception, task planning, full-body movement coordination, and autonomous learning. Improvements to the robot’s gait planning and stability control make it more dependable in complex settings.
With its 8-hour battery life, the K2 is geared toward industrial tasks like intelligent manufacturing, logistics, and high-risk operations. It uses proprietary planetary roller screw actuators in its arms and legs.
They provide up to 8,000 Newtons, or almost eighteen hundred pounds force, of thrust. This level of thrust is enough to lift heavy industrial components like large machine parts and steel beams. It can also perform high-load assembly work or manage tasks that require significant force, like tightening bolts or moving large machinery parts.