EVERY HOME NEEDS A PEPPER-KUN

Japanese-French Partnership Launch Pepper-kun, the Home Robot

Japan’s SoftBank has teamed up with french-based Aldebaran ( the firm behind NAO) to launch Pepper-kun and hope it will be the first robot to break the home market. The 3-foot, 11-inch robot has a manga-inspired design with large childlike eyes and an inoffensive finish. Behind its large black eyes lie an infrared sensor and a detector which measure 3D depth.

Currently, it’s pre-programed to speak Japanese and is very much orientated to Japanese culture, right down to its humor. Unlike the NAO, it has wheeled-base mobility instead of legs, that makes it far more energy efficient. Its functions are relatively basic, but it is capable of sustained interaction with humans. Admittedly, it can’t do the ironing, but it may be the first robot to penetrate the home-sphere.