Meet Pepper, The Latest House Robot

Move over Siri, there’s a new robot in town— and he’s more than just a voice. Japan’s SoftBank Corp has worked together with International Business Machines Corp. IBM to develop a house robot called Pepper, set to go on sale in Japan this summer. 

Pepper’s Tricks

Pepper sets himself apart from the vacuums and toys that came before him because he can perform a variety of tasks all while holding a conversation with a human. Much like voice assistants like Apple Inc.’s AAPL Siri and Amazon Inc.’s AMZN Echo, Pepper is sometimes unable to continue a conversation he doesn’t understand, in which case he changes the subject. However, in addition to his social skills, Pepper is said to have a wide range of talents from speaking in sign language to opening doors.

Robots The Next Normal?

SoftBank says it hopes robots like Pepper will become an everyday item much like PC’s and smartphones have, and that the device will be the most widely used 'humanoid robot’ to date. The company says it will likely lose money on Pepper’s sales to begin with, but that fees connecting the robot to its network are expected to make up for negative margins.

Is The World Ready For House Robots?

Skeptics say widespread robot adoption among average consumers could be a long time coming. While Pepper could prove to be a good companion for the elderly, most believe that the demand for a robot that is unable to perform household chores is low. Pepper’s price tag is also a factor; although SoftBank hasn’t released details yet, the robot is expected to cost nearly $2,000.