Pepper, the Humanoid Robot That Can Read Emotion, Has Come Stateside

Pepper is an empathetic humanoid robot, developed jointly by the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank and Aldebaran Robotics, that is hailed for her ability to read emotions and react accordingly. A typical encounter with Pepper will involve her rolling up to you, waving hello, and initiating a friendly conversation. She even tilts her head to face you and follows your movements so as to appear attentive.

Pepper has now immigrated to America and is currently working in retail at the b8ta technology store in Palo Alto. Although she will only be stationed there until the end of the week, Softbank says Pepper will make its way to working in U.S. retail stores by the end of the year.

Pepper uses 2D and 3D cameras as well as microphones to read and interpret human emotions, ranging from happiness, joy, sadness, and anger, and then respond appropriately. The robot rolls around on three wheels, has joints that can move 17 different ways, and lasts 12 hours on a full charge, according to PCMag. Pepper is also diminutive at four feet tall and has been deliberately built to appear adorable and friendly rather than menacing.

Pepper’s creators are hoping that her emotional intelligence will make her perfect for providing companionship in retail, hospitality, and other settings. The humanoid companion has sold out quickly in Japan after each production run and thousands of these robots are currently being used in stores, hospitals, and hotels across Japan and parts of Europe, Tech Republic reports.

SoftBank is even in talks with Honda to use the technology to make an empathetic car that can talk and keep you company on long drives.