Pepper
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Pepper is a humanoid social robot engineered for human interaction, featuring expressive facial animations via LED eyes and gestures powered by 20 DC motors. Standing at 120 cm with omnidirectional wheeled mobility reaching 3 km/h, it navigates indoor spaces using laser scanners, sonars, and cameras for obstacle avoidance and people detection. Equipped with dual 5MP HD cameras, a 3D depth sensor, four microphones, and touch sensors, Pepper recognizes faces, emotions, and voices in over 20 languages. Its chest-mounted 10.1-inch tablet enables touch interactions, while NAOqi OS supports Python, C++, Java, and Choregraphe for custom behaviors. Ideal for retail, education, healthcare, and hospitality, Pepper engages users through speech synthesis, dialogue engines, and emotional responses, fostering natural collaboration without true bipedal walking but mimicking humanoid proportions for approachability.
Quick Overview & Key Facts
Pepper is a humanoid robot made by SoftBank Robotics in Japan, launched in 2014 and built for customer service, reception, and education. Its estimated price is USD 20,000 – 30,000. Featured in “Top 7 Humanoid Robots Transforming Healthcare, Hospitals & Eldercare in 2026” and “10 Best Humanoid Robots for Education & Research Labs ”.
- Dimensions
- 121 x 48 x 42.5 (cm)
- Weight
- 28 kg
- Mobility
- Wheeled (Tri-wheel Omnidirectional Base).
- Top speed
- 3 km/h (0.83 m/s)
- Handles
- People interaction, light tools
- Battery runtime
- 12 hours
- Charging time
- 4 hours
- Operating environment
- Indoor
What Can Pepper Do?
Core operational tasks and activities demonstrated or performed by Pepper.
Real-World Applications of Pepper
Industries, working environments, and deployment suitability for Pepper.
Pepper Capabilities
Inherent physical, perceptual, and cognitive abilities built into Pepper.
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Image Gallery
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Robot Specifications
ConfirmedValues marked Confirmed were checked against the manufacturer's official data; select the badge to open the source. Values without a Confirmed badge are compiled from public sources and may not be manufacturer-verified.
Not yet published by SoftBank Robotics: warranty terms, safety certifications, EMC compliance, IP rating, noise level, expected lifespan, maintenance schedule, update method and 5 more.
Robot Timeline
Key milestones in this robot's development and rollout
Pepper goes on sale in Japan, with the first batch of 1,000 units selling out in 60 seconds.
Source: Wikipedia ↗
SoftBank pauses Pepper production because of weak demand, with about 27,000 units built.
Source: Wikipedia ↗
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NAO
Manufactured by SoftBank Robotics
NAO is a compact bipedal humanoid robot renowned for its interactive capabilities in education, research, and healthcare. Standing at 58 cm with 25 degrees of freedom, it features human-like proportions enabling fluid walking, waving, dancing, and sitting motions. Equipped with dual HD cameras for face and object recognition, four directional microphones for speech interaction in 20+ languages, and an array of sensors including sonars, inertial units, force-sensitive resistors, and tactile sensors, NAO perceives its environment intuitively. Powered by NAOqi OS on an Intel Atom processor, it supports programmable behaviors via Choregraphe suite, including fall detection/recovery and balancing. Its LED eyes and expressive gestures foster engaging human-robot interaction, making it ideal for STEM teaching, autism therapy, RoboCup competitions, and social robotics studies. Robust polycarbonate construction ensures durability for repeated use in dynamic settings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Q1. What is Pepper, and what problem is it designed to solve?
Pepper is a wheeled humanoid robot developed by SoftBank Robotics. According to the manufacturer, it is designed for social interaction with humans in public settings, using sensors for people perception and multimodal communication.
Q2. What are the main capabilities and key features of Pepper?
Pepper features voice recognition, facial detection, object recognition, and autonomous navigation on flat surfaces. It includes a chest-mounted tablet for information display and supports multiple programming languages via its software development kit.
Q3. Who is Pepper built for, and which industries can benefit from it?
Pepper targets businesses, researchers, and educational institutions. According to SoftBank Robotics, it serves sectors such as retail, hospitality, healthcare, and education for customer engagement and interactive demonstrations.
Q4. Is Pepper a commercial product or still a research prototype?
Pepper is a commercial product available since 2014. It functions as an open platform supporting research and development through its SDK, while deployed in commercial applications.
Q5. Is Pepper currently available for purchase, and when is it expected to ship?
As of 2026, Pepper is available for purchase through authorized distributors. Shipping timelines depend on order fulfillment by distributors following purchase.
Q6. How does Pepper actually work in real-world environments?
Pepper uses cameras, microphones, lasers, sonars, and bumpers for environment perception and obstacle avoidance. It navigates indoor flat spaces autonomously and engages users via speech and touch interactions.
Q7. When was Pepper announced or officially launched?
Pepper was unveiled by SoftBank Robotics in 2014. Commercial availability began shortly after its public demonstration that year.
Q8. How is Pepper different from other robots in the same category?
Unlike bipedal humanoids, Pepper employs three omnidirectional wheels for indoor mobility on flat surfaces. It emphasizes emotional recognition and tablet-based interfaces for social tasks, distinguishing it from legged research platforms.
Q9. Does Pepper require additional development or customization after purchase?
Customization is possible using the provided SDK, which supports languages like Python and C++. According to the manufacturer, users often develop applications for specific behaviors post-purchase.
Q10. What is the future roadmap or planned upgrades for Pepper?
SoftBank Robotics has announced plans to expand Pepper's software engines and integration capabilities. The company targets enhanced autonomy and broader language support for ongoing deployments.
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