Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" price & specs

Kepler Exploration Robotics (China) Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" (1)

~$30,000

AvailableZMP / IK gait8 h runtimeHybrid actuatorsIndustrial

Weeks+Shipping: Not available.

Overview

Kepler showed its Forerunner K1 at CES 2024 and put the K2 "Bumblebee" into mass production in September 2025. It uses a hybrid of planetary-roller-screw linear actuators and rotary joints and claims about 8 hours of work per charge. Framework agreements cover several thousand units, mostly for Chinese factories.

Type: Biped robot · Full-size humanoids
Maker: Kepler Exploration Robotics (China)
Released: 2025
Price: ~$30,000
Status: Available
Best for: Professionals & labs
Programming: Limited SDK

Price and shipping

~$37,000 (¥248,000) in China. ~$30k quoted in English-language coverage

Shipping: Not available. Sold by quote, mainly to Chinese enterprise customers.

Specifications

Category	Bipeds · Full-size humanoids
Released	2025
Country	China
Availability	Available
Programmability	Limited SDK
Built-in autonomy	Task-level · Carries out multi-step jobs on its own, such as inspections, deliveries or chores
LLM support	Official LLM tools · Kepler's developer platform offers a VLA+ model and natural-language input for assembling tasks (unconfirmed as a standard feature). Kepler IROS 2025 release ↗
MuJoCo simulation	None found · Nothing found.
NVIDIA Isaac simulation	None found · Nothing found.
Gazebo simulation	None found · Nothing found.
Best for	Professionals & labs
Vision sensors	Camera
Actuators	Brushless / direct-drive motors
Audio	Microphone
Compute type	Proprietary / undisclosed
Balance type	ZMP / IK gait
Height	175 cm
Weight	75 kg
Compute	100 TOPS GPU platform (upgradable)
Speed	Not published
DOF	52 (development versions, 11-DoF hands), 30 (basic version)
Sensors	Vision and auditory sensors, wrist six-axis force sensors, 25 tactile points per finger
Balance	Conservative industrial walking. Kepler credits improved gait planning and control algorithms for K2's resistance to external disturbances, and uses imitation and reinforcement learning for task skills. It does not publish its locomotion controller in more detail.
SDK	Enterprise integration (limited)

Common questions

How much does Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" cost?

Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" is listed at ~$30,000. ~$37,000 (¥248,000) in China. ~$30k quoted in English-language coverage.

Can Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" be bought today?

Yes, it is on sale. Sold by quote, mainly to Chinese enterprise customers.

Who makes Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee"?

Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" is made by Kepler Exploration Robotics (China). It came out in 2025.

Can Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" be programmed?

Limited SDK. Enterprise integration (limited).

Does Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" have AI chat or LLM support?

Official LLM tools. Kepler's developer platform offers a VLA+ model and natural-language input for assembling tasks (unconfirmed as a standard feature).