Forerunner K2 humanoid robot can carry 33 lb in each dexterous hand
China's Kepler took its Forerunner humanoid robot to CES 2024 back in January, taking aim at Tesla's Optimus in the process. The company has since been in talks with target customers and has now announced a follow-up that's "tailored for commercial applications."
The original Forerunner – now called the K1 – was built around proprietary AI brains and came with 8-hour battery endurance. It featured in-house roller-screw actuators in the arms and legs and custom rotary actuators for the waist and shoulder joints. And it could work with total payloads of up to 25 kg (55 lb), with sensor-packed human-like hands for grasping objects.
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Despite its sequential name, Shanghai Kepler Robotics says that the new Forerunner K2 actually represents the fifth generation model. As you might expect, the latest humanoid has been treated to "extensive software and hardware enhancements."
On the hardware front, the K2 is reported to have 52 degrees of freedom throughout the body. The bot features a rotating and tilting head module, and its arms and legs now benefit from improved rigidity, and are easier to manufacture and maintain.
The "rope-driven" five-digit hands each support up 11 degrees of active and passive freedom, and each "tactile manipulator" can heft up to 15 kg (33 lb). Every fingertip is home to a sensor array boasting 96 contact points.