Shanghai Kepler Robotics Co., Ltd. (“Kepler Humanoid Robot”) has recently launched its full-sized, general-purpose humanoid robot, the Forerunner K2, at GITEX GLOBAL 2024, which began on October 14.
Kepler Humanoid Robot is dedicated to transforming productivity through cutting-edge technology and delivering industry-leading, high-IQ blue-collar humanoid robots. Hu Debo, CEO of Kepler Humanoid Robot, 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. 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.”
Enhanced Physical and Intelligent Capabilities
Following the release of the Forerunner K1 in November 2023, which featured a 25 kg payload capacity, 8-hour battery life, and highly agile manipulators, the new Forerunner K2 has undergone extensive software and hardware enhancements. During the K2’s development, Kepler engaged with nearly 50 target customers, gaining crucial insights into sector-specific requirements and challenges. Comprehensive research on real-world scenarios in intelligent manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, high-risk operations, and research and education informed the refinement and categorization of robotic capabilities, facilitating rapid iteration and launch of the Kepler K2, tailored for commercial applications.
The Forerunner K2’s embodied intelligence software has made notable advancements in dynamic perception, strategic task planning, full-body coordinated operation, autonomous learning, and motion control. By integrating a cloud-based advanced cognitive model with an embodied control system, and employing both imitation and reinforcement learning for skill acquisition, the K2 has nearly mastered the ability to autonomously complete tasks in specific scenarios.
The efficiency of embodied intelligence training has also been improved. Kepler’s research and development team has optimized algorithms for human-robot interaction and data transmission, boosting real-time interactivity during remote operation. This enables Forerunner K2 to effectively cooperate with human operators, providing a solid foundation for the further development of embodied intelligence technologies. Moreover, improved gait planning and control algorithms have enhanced K2’s stability against external disturbances and its walking speed, ensuring dependability and fluidity in autonomous operations. Significant enhancements to visual perception and autonomous navigation algorithms allow the K2 to monitor and recognize its surroundings in real-time, enabling rapid and precise responses to ensure adaptability and safety in complex, changing environments.
In response to scenario-specific demands, the Forerunner K2’s hardware system has undergone substantial upgrades, including improvements to the arm and leg assemblies, tactile manipulators, wiring configuration, power systems, body degrees of freedom, as well as to the overall design. The limbs’ main structure features an integrated design, offering improved rigidity, streamlining of the manufacturing process and enhanced ease of maintenance. The latest iteration of our rope-driven tactile manipulators supports up to 11 degrees of freedom (active and passive) per hand, with a single-hand load capacity of up to 15 kg. Each fingertip is equipped with a flexible sensor that includes up to 96 contact points, which significantly enhances the robot’s flexible operational capabilities.
The Forerunner K2 features a new star-shaped wiring layout for easier routing and faster connections. It continues to use a 2.33 kWh high-capacity battery, ensuring eight hours of uninterrupted use. The robot also includes special charging interfaces that support both direct and automatic charging, providing greater flexibility for energy replenishment during extended working hours. The K2 incorporates 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.
Driving Humanoid Robot Deployment in Application Scenarios
With Tesla’s Optimus on the verge of mass production at a scale of over a thousand units and deployment on its own automotive production lines by 2025, the application of humanoid robots is approaching a critical juncture, potentially at a faster pace than anticipated. Mr. Hu, the Kepler CEO and a staunch proponent of the practical deployment of humanoid robots, noted that the primary driver of the humanoid robot industry’s growth is their genuine integration into thousands of real-world applications, creating more value for customers.
To this end, Kepler Humanoid Robot has outlined a commercialization pathway comprising three stages: initial deployment, generalization in vertical scenarios, and ultimately universal application across all scenarios. This systematic process will facilitate the deployment of robots in practical applications. The company has initiated the testing phase of the K2 humanoid robot in actual customer environments.
The Forerunner K2 is an ideal solution for a range of domains, including intelligent manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, high-risk operations, and research and education. Technological upgrades have created opportunities for further applications. At the same time as its launch, the K2 has been put through its pace at a number of key customer locations, where it has been tested on various tasks including materials handling, sample processing, patrol and inspection, stamping material collection and quality inspection. These trials have enabled the deployment process to progress as anticipated.
Following the release of the new K2 robot and subsequent small-batch production, Kepler will continue to collaborate closely with industry partners, striving to create humanoid robots that are characterized by high intelligence, reliability, safety and cost-effectiveness. Together, they are working to promote the deployment and application of humanoid robots in a broader range of real-world scenarios.
