Humanoid Robot Enhanced for Blue-Collar Work Environments

A new, full-size, general-purpose humanoid robot has been introduced by Shanghai’s Kepler Humanoid Robot.

Kepler displayed the Forerunner K2 at Gitex Global 2024.

In January, the general humanoid robotics developer debuted its flagship robot series at CES in Las Vegas at the time saying it was set for mass production later this year. 

The K2 is the latest iteration of the robot series tailored for commercial operations. 

Kepler CEO Hu Debo said the Forerunner K2 represents the “Gen 5.0 robot model, showcasing a seamless integration of the humanoid robot's cerebral, cerebellar and high-load body functions.”

“At Kepler, we understand that innovation is driven by application,” Debo said. “That's why we prioritize deep integration of customer needs, solutions and product development. From the outset, we have forged close collaborations with key customers, jointly formulating commercialization strategies and working alongside industry stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of humanoid robots."

While the K1 released in November 2023 could carry up to 55 pounds with an eight-hour battery life and highly agile arms, the K2 features extensive software and hardware enhancements.

They include advancements in dynamic perception, strategic task planning, full body coordinated operation, autonomous learning and motion control.

Related:Humanoid Robot for Warehouse Use Ready for Mass Production

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A cloud-based advanced cognitive model with an embodied control system was integrated into the new humanoid to help with imitation and reinforcement learning to help it acquire new skills.

Kepler said the K2 has almost fully mastered the ability to autonomously perform tasks in specific scenarios.

Kepler has also improved the humanoid’s embodied intelligence training, optimizing algorithms for human-robot interaction and data transmission and boosting real-time interactivity during remote operation.

The K2 is more stable with enhanced walking speeds, visual perception and autonomous navigation enhancements and new algorithms to help it monitor and recognize surroundings in real time. 

Hardware system upgrades include improvements to the arm and leg assemblies, tactile sensors, wiring configuration, power systems, range of motion and overall design.

It can manage a single-hand load of up to 33 pounds. Each fingertip has a sensor with up to 96 contact points. It still uses 2.33 kilowatt hours with high-capacity battery as the previous models did with eight hours of power, along with special charging interfaces for direct and automatic charging. 

Related:Humanoid Robot Goes Full Autonomy; Boston Dynamics Video

The K2 humanoid has two degrees of freedom for head rotation and tilting, facilitating more natural human-robot interaction. With 52 degrees of freedom throughout the body, the Forerunner K2 offers enhanced sensory perception and hand-eye coordination. Additionally, the K2 is designed with a sleek, industrial mech-style appearance, optimally suited to the workplaces of blue-collar robots.

The K2 humanoid features two degrees of freedom for head rotation and tilting, enabling more fluid human-robot interaction. It has 52 degrees of freedom across its body for enhanced sensory perception and hand-eye coordination and is designed with a streamlined, industrial mech-inspired look, making it ideal for blue-collar work environments. 

Kepler has a three-stage plan for commercializing its humanoid robot starting with initial deployment, followed by adaptation to specific vertical scenarios and ultimately achieving universal application across all scenarios.