Pepper Robot is one of the most advanced commercially-available social robots available to businesses today.

Designed by Softbank Robotics to be friendly and appealing and to put people at ease, it's just at home with children as it is with adults. 

 

Pepper's features include:

  • Advanced language recognition skills

    • The four directional microphones located on Pepper's head allow it to detect where sounds are coming from and locate your position, as well as identifying the emotions in your voice. Pepper can engage in conversations, and can incorporate information it has gleaned from the conversation into what it says.

  • Facial recognition and face tracking

    • The images it sees are processed by shape recognition software that is capable of identifying faces and objects. It can detect movements, as well as recognising emotions on your face. 

  • Object recognition

    • It can be taught to recognise objects, and can then pick them out in a room.

  • Tablet for visual presentations and tactile feedback

    • This can be used to make choices, as well as to delight, entertain and inform.

  • Tactile sensors on arms, chest and head

    • Pepper has tactile sensors in its hands, which are used when it is playing games or for social interaction, as well as in hits head.

  • Long battery life

    • Pepper has a high capacity Lithium Ion battery, typically delivering 10-12 hours on a single charge.

  • Stable body with wheelbase

    • The wheelbase is efficient, and also makes Pepper more stable than robots with legs. Pepper is also able to maintain its balance, with mechanisms that help prevent it from falling if somebody knocks into it.

  • Voice that can be tailored and express emotion with variable pitch

    • Pepper can sound like an enthusiastic young robot, or can be tailored to sound older.

  • HD Cameras and omnidirectional microphone

    • Pepper has three cameras (two RGB cameras and one 3D camera in his head) as well as a sensitive microphone.

  • Collision-avoidance sensors

    • Pepper has many sensors including two ultrasound transmitters and receivers, six laser sensors and three obstacle detectors placed in his legs. These sensors provide it with information about the distance of nearby objects (up to a range of 3 metres), and help to reduce the risk of unexpected collisions.

  • Flexible programming interface with unlimited applications

    • The uses to which Pepper can be put are unlimited thanks to its flexible programming interface. New features and improvements continue to increase Pepper's capabilities.

 

But don't take our word for it, Pepper can introduce itself in this great interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson.