Forerunner K1 vs Reachy 2: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2025)
Kepler Robotics vs Pollen Robotics (Hugging Face) — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
Forerunner K1 leads in more DOF, higher payload. Overall, Forerunner K1 has an edge in 2 out of 2 compared categories.
Forerunner K1
Kepler Robotics
Reachy 2
Pollen Robotics (Hugging Face)
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Forerunner K1 Reachy 2
Specifications
$30,000Price~$70,000–$100,000
178 cmHeight140 cm
85 kgWeight40 kg
40DOF17
25 kgPayload3 kg
8hRuntime—
—Speed—
YesStairsNo
NoLiDARYes
N/AComputeSolidrun Bedrock v3000
Task Capabilities
✓Pick up a box from shelf?
◔Open a door handle?
◔Pour liquid into cup?
◔Use a power tool?
✕Type on keyboard?
✓Climb stairs with load?
◔Walk on uneven terrain?
✕Run (>3 m/s)?
◔Crouch under obstacle?
◔Navigate in crowd?
✓Recognize & locate objects?
?Respond to voice commands?
✓Detect humans nearby?
✓Work 8-hour shift?
?Hot-swap battery?
✓Operate 24/7 (with charging)?
✕Work in rain (IP65+)?
?Work below 0°C?
?Work in dusty environment?
◔Work safely alongside humans?
Ecosystem Openness
—
Forerunner K1
/100
91
Reachy 2
Fully open-source HW+SW. ROS2. Hugging Face backing. Best-in-class openness.
Pros and cons at a glance
Forerunner K1
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- High rated payload (25 kg) for industrial pick-and-place
- Long runtime (8h per charge) for full-shift operation
- 40 degrees of freedom — full-body articulation
Cons
- Closed software stack — no public SDK or ROS support
Reachy 2
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- Ships with LiDAR for robust depth sensing in low-light environments
Cons
- Unit price not publicly disclosed (quote-on-request or enterprise-only)
- Low rated payload (3 kg) — research or light-handling tasks only
- Limited articulation (17 DOF)
- Cannot navigate stairs — restricts deployment environments
Frequently asked questions
How do Forerunner K1 and Reachy 2 compare on price?
Forerunner K1: $30,000. Reachy 2: ~$70,000–$100,000. Only one of the two has a public unit price; the other publishes a range or enterprise-only terms.
Which has higher payload: Forerunner K1 or Reachy 2?
Forerunner K1 rates a higher payload at 25 kg vs 3 kg. Payload ratings are vendor claims and do not always include a duty cycle — peak vs sustained payload can differ significantly.
Are both Forerunner K1 and Reachy 2 shipping to customers?
Yes. Both are commercially available as of the last review. Delivery timelines and customer geographies vary per vendor — check the manufacturer page for each.
Which is better for ROS-based development: Forerunner K1 or Reachy 2?
Forerunner K1 has no ROS support; Reachy 2 has ros2. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Does Forerunner K1 or Reachy 2 use LiDAR?
Reachy 2 ships with LiDAR for depth sensing; Forerunner K1 does not. LiDAR adds cost and complexity but improves obstacle detection in low-light or low-contrast environments.
Last updated: 2025