DEPLOY

Buying guide

K2 Bumblebee vs Unitree R1 in 2026

Comparing 2 humanoid robots across availability, pricing, capabilities, and verified deployments. Current as of 2026.

Key differences

On DEPLOY's record, Unitree R1 is further along: at the commercial stage versus K2 Bumblebee at the pilot stage, as of 2026.

  • Unitree R1 has the lower recorded price.
  • K2 Bumblebee is at the pilot stage; Unitree R1 at the commercial stage.
Attribute
FRC team 1690 Orbit 2026 robot reveal - "KEPLER"
K2 BumblebeeView full model page →
No image on file
Unitree R1View full model page →
ManufacturerKepler RoboticsUnitree Robotics
Form factorhumanoidhumanoid
Maturitypilotcommercial
Autonomy◐ not independently verified◐ not independently verified
Availabilityshipping-nowshippingpreorder-openpreorder
Price$34,000 (actual sale price)$4,900-$10,500 (actual sale price)
Capability claims
  • Picks and packs (claimed-only, claimed)
  • Picks and packs (demo-only, demonstrated-once)
Brain—
Verified deployments1Kepler Robotics1Unitree Robotics
Privacy practices——
Sources on file79

Track this matchup

Get told the moment K2 Bumblebee or Unitree R1 changes. Verified changes only, the second they are real. No press-release noise.

K2 Bumblebee

Verified changes only. No press-release noise.

Unitree R1

Verified changes only. No press-release noise.

Editorial summaries

K2 Bumblebee

Kepler Robotics describes the K2 (Bumblebee) as commercially available and in mass production, priced at about $34,000 (RMB 248,000) per unit per the company's official announcement. Most volume is sold through enterprise framework agreements rather than individual retail. The price is verified from Kepler's own release.

Unitree R1

The R1 is Unitree's price-floor entry into the same research-and-developer category as the G1, lowering the cost barrier to humanoid hardware for hobbyists, education, and capability researchers. The three R1 configurations differ in capability rather than presenting a buyer-tier ladder; the EDU variant adds the research-platform extensions a lab would want.

Unitree describes R1 as developer-tool hardware, with the published specs as the verifiable substance and no commercial deployment record on file. The verified-vs-claimed lens applies differently to a developer platform: hardware credibility is the relevant claim, commercial deployment is not yet in scope.

Common questions

How do K2 Bumblebee and Unitree R1 differ?
On DEPLOY's record, Unitree R1 is further along: at the commercial stage versus K2 Bumblebee at the pilot stage, as of 2026. Unitree R1 has the lower recorded price. K2 Bumblebee is at the pilot stage; Unitree R1 at the commercial stage.
What is the difference between K2 Bumblebee and Unitree R1?
K2 Bumblebee and Unitree R1 are both humanoid robots on the DEPLOY registry. They differ in maker, maturity, price, verified deployments, and how much of their autonomy is independently verified. See the table above for the full head-to-head; each figure is sourced.
Which is cheaper, K2 Bumblebee or Unitree R1?
Unitree R1 has the lower recorded price on the DEPLOY registry than K2 Bumblebee. Prices are sourced; see each record for whether the figure is a manufacturer target, an estimate, or an actual sale price.
Is K2 Bumblebee or Unitree R1 more autonomous?
On the DEPLOY registry, neither K2 Bumblebee nor Unitree R1 has capabilities independently verified as fully autonomous yet; their recorded capabilities are teleoperated-assisted, demonstrated, or vendor-claimed. See the table for each capability's verification status.
Which has more verified deployments, K2 Bumblebee or Unitree R1?
K2 Bumblebee and Unitree R1 each have 1 verified deployment on the DEPLOY registry (confirmed at named sites with primary sources).

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Which humanoid robots can you actually buy in 2026?Answer The verified list.Humanoid robot prices: every verified figureAnswer The verified list.All humanoidsRegistry Every verified record in the category.K2 BumblebeeModel The full model page.Unitree R1Model The full model page.Kepler RoboticsRecord The maker's verified record.

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