Imagine a robot that could read human emotions….that’s exactly what Pepper, the Japanese robot can do.
Introduced to the world at a press conference in Japan, Pepper the robot appeared on stage cooing and humming before singing a song, “I want to be loved.”
The unnerving robot stands 4 ft tall and is able to detect human feelings and emotions. Its creators, SoftBank boast that it is the first robot to have a “heart”.
Pepper has the ability to read emotions through anlayzing gestures, expressions and tone of voice. It does this through its flat panel display fitted onto his chest.
He also has two cameras and four microphones that can connect to the internet as well as a dozen sensors and voice recognition software.
The young robot can also dance, make jokes and hold hands with its owner.
SoftBank chief executive Masayoshi Son said: “Our aim is to develop affectionate robots that can make people smile. People describe others as being robots because they have no emotions, no heart. For the first time in human history, we’re giving a robot a heart and emotions.”
Pepper is expected to go on sale in Japan next year in February for around $2000 USD.