Standing at a little over a foot tall and capable of recognising human emotions, personal robot Pepper is already proving a success in Japan. Within a minute of going on sale at the weekend, the first 1,000 units of the humanoid had been ordered.SoftBank Robotics said that orders are no longer being taken and it would announce additional sales in July.
Pepper robots are also used in Softbank stores as shop assistants. The Pepper Robots are equipped with the latest voice and emotion recognition technology. Pepper is able to read people's facial expressions and listen to their tone of voice to analyse how they're feeling. Pepper is also able to explain Nescafé products and services and engage in conversation with consumers,' said Kohzoh Takaoka, president and Chief Executive of Nestlé Japan at the time. I hope that this new consumer engagement model will expand across the world as an example of Japanese innovation.
The dream of creating an advanced consumer experience with the Pepper robot is now coming true. The Aldebaran robots retail from 198,000 yen (£1,107 or $1,600) and can understand 80 per cent of conversations.They also have the ability to learn from conversations. Aldebran additionally makes Neo which has two cameras mounted to its head, that act as eyes, as well as four directional microphones to act as its ears. The 1ft 11in (58cm) bot also has touch sensors, can speak 19 languages and is able to read and respond to emotions, by analysing facial expressions. This analysis is made using embedded software called NAOqi. Nao was recently hired at branches of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, on a trial basis.
During the presentation in Tokyo, Japan back in April, Nao welcomed customers to the bank, and asked which service they required. Aldebaran has produced more than 5,000 of its Nao humanoid, and it is primarily used for research and educational purposes. And if the trial is successful, the robotic employees will be rolled out to more branches of the Japanese bank by 2020.
Robotic companions are hugely popularin Japan but have failed to become commercial successes elsewhere. Japanese electronics and entertainment company Sony discontinued the Aibo pet-dog robot in 2006, despite an outcry from its fans. At that time, Sony had developed a child-shaped entertainment robot similar to Pepper but much smaller, capable of dances and other charming moves.
