One thing that allows human beings to live together is their ability to read one another’s emotions before the frying pans start to fly. If personal robots are to join the household, they’ll have to learn how to deal with emotions as well. Pepper is a semi-humanoid robot designed to do just that, with the ability to gauge human emotions and alter its behavior accordingly as a way to better fit into family life.
Pepper was jointly developed by SoftBank Mobile and Aldebaran Robotics SAS, which is the company responsible for the NAO and NAO Next Gen humanoid robots. Looking like an affable plastic anime character, the robot stands 121 cm (47.6 in) tall and weighs 28 kg (61.7 lb). Being an indoor robot, it travels at a leisurely 3 km/h (1.8 mph), with its joints designed for graceful movement to allow it to communicate with families in a natural manner.
via Gizmag
Image: SoftBank Mobile
