Pepper is Billed as the First Personal Robot That Reads Emotions
Posted on June 7, 2014
A robot named Pepper is being billed as the first personal robot that reads human emotions. The robot was developed by Softbank Mobile Corp and Aldebaran Robotics. Yoshimoto Robotics Laboratory also developed some of Pepper's abilities.
Pepper has a tablet-like interface on its chest. Aldebaran says Pepper is equipped with voice recognition, emotion recognition and advanced joint technology. Pepper's algorithms estimate emotions based on human expressions and voice tones. It has two cameras, touch sensors and four directional microphones. Pepper has an inertial measurement unit that helps him know if he standing or sitting down. Pepper can also make jokes and dance. It is designed to alleviate loneliness and make people happy.
Pepper will go on sale in February 2015 by Softbank Mobile for a starting price of JPY 198,000 (about $1,930 U.S.) price tag. The robot speaks 17 languages. Take a look:
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