Pepper, a robot designed to detect human emotions, sells 1,000 unit release almost immediately, according to its developer Softbank.
Pepper went on sale over the weekend
Pepper, a robot capable of
detecting human emotions, sold out in under a minute at the
weekend, as Japanese consumers raced to be one of the first to own the
"robot with a heart".
Softbank, which
developed the humanoid machine and announced it last year, said it had sold the
first batch of 1,000 robots online in the first 60 seconds they were on sale.
Pepper, which costs
198,000 yen (around £1,000) plus monthly service and insurance fees, is capable
of recognising feelings such as anger, joy and sadness. Including the other
fees, the cost of owning one is around 1.2m yen (£6,000) over three years.
It then reacts
accordingly, providing companionship for those who do not have it, or are
simply curious about the latest robotic developments.
The robot has been
designed to help address Japan's rapidly ageing population. The median age in
the country is 46 - one of the world's highest - and its birth rate has slumped
to a record low.
“Our vision is to offer
a robot with love,” Softbank chief executive Masayoshi Son said at a
press conference last
week.
Pepper, which is four
foot high, and weighs around four-and-a-half stone, can dance to music, bow in
respect and move its arms in a convincing interpretation of human movement.
Softbank, which plans to
release Pepper in other countries later this year, will put 1,000 units a month
on sale. It has big plans for the robot, but says it will not make a profit on
it for years.
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