Kepler’s K2 Bumblebee is a Humanoid Robot Ready to Walk Into Factories Now, Thanks to Tesla’s Hybrid Architecture

Kepler Robotics has started mass production of its K2 Bumblebee, a humanoid robot that’s ready to ship to customers. Based in Shanghai, the company announced it with a video showing the bot from concept to manufacturing lines, including footage of it folding clothes and sorting crates. Thousands of pre-orders are in, and at $30,000 this is the first robot you can buy off the shelf rather than waiting for some distant future promise.

The Bumblebee is 175cm tall and weighs 75kg, so it’s robust but compact. Each arm can lift 15kg, which is enough to move tools or parts around a factory floor, and it can run for 8 hours on a single charge before needing to recharge. Kepler based this one on a hybrid setup that combines electric actuators for precision control with hydraulic boosts for raw power in the legs and joints, like Tesla’s Optimus series.

That’s no coincidence; Kepler calls the Bumblebee an Optimus inspired robot, even using the old prototype codename to make the point. The demo video shows the robot wandering around workshop floors, its frame looking like an early Optimus model, with broad shoulders, a slim torso and hands that grab objects with an intentional bend.



On the manufacturing floor is where the real testing begins, and Bumblebee shines in subtle ways. Videos show it exploring cluttered shelves, picking up misplaced objects with its fingers, and even helping with simple assembly jobs. The hybrid drive lets it plow through uneven terrain or lift with ease, all while conserving power through the transition.

Shipping starts next month with the first batches going to early backers. At $30,000 it’s cheaper than the high profile robots from the big companies and you can add custom grippers or extended batteries. Kepler is not done yet; rumors from the lab suggest outdoor work or team collaboration with multiple bots.