Robots are not just part of the working force in factories, any more. People naturally ascribe personalities to machines, from driver and their cars to soldiers who work closely with bomb-disposal robots. This bond between humans and machines has opened up a world of possibilities for robot with social capabilities and now, Pepper, the first robot with a heart is going on sale for the public in 2015.
With big, round, smiling eyes , Pepper, created by Aldebaran robotics is the first affordable humanoid designed to live with humans. Pepper, a social robot can hold a conversation with you and react to your emotions through the most intuitive interface: voice, touch and emotions.
"To be a true social companion Pepper needs to be able to understand your emotions. If you burst out laughing, he will know you are in a good mood. If you frown, Pepper will understand that something is bothering you," Aldebaran states in their website. In fact, once Pepper guesses your mood, he will even adapt to it, meaning he will cheer you up by playing your favorite song!
What makes this four-foot, 28 kilo humanoid irresistibly cute is the way he expresses his emotions and the individualistic personality that comes across through his body language, funny gestures and his unique voice.
Introduced at a conference on 5 June, Pepper was created for SoftBank Mobile, one of the largest mobile phone operators in Japan, and has been greeting and interacting with customers in stores since 6 June.
YouTuber CrispyYiger posted "Talking with a Pepper, Softbank's new Robot", in which she had a converstation with Pepper about her first love, in Japanese. The video has over 28,815 views, with viewers finding the robot with a heart, "adorable and cute".
"Pepper loves to talk with humans, he's very curious about us! As you continue to interact with him Pepper will recognize you and learn new things about your tastes," claims Aldebaran. The first affordable robot is also capable of both adaptation and self-improvement and will soon be able to search for new applications to surprise and entertain you!
With the core concept of an essential notion for companionship, Pepper will not hesitate to say hello to someone passing nearby, or to impress your friends by playing and dancing to a cool playlist of songs.
Pepper can not only assist you with finding things on the internet like any good smart machine, he is also perfectly capable of looking after himself and "charge" himself is the 14 hour battery life runs out. Pepper even has a screen on his chest where he shows his emotions and what's happening in his inner world.
Pepper will be available for the general public in Japan starting February 2015 at a base price of JPY 198,000 ($1,931) at Softbank Mobile stores. While the company hasn't set a US price, Bloomberg reported that Pepper will be sold at Sprint Corp stores in the US by the summer of 2015.
