Robotics & Automation News

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SoftBank to halt production of Pepper and reduce its robotics business, says Reuters

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SoftBank, the Japanese telecommunications giant which has in the past few years become a huge force in the robotics market, is set to halt production of Pepper, the humanoid robot, according to a report by Reuters. 

The news agency cites sources and documents to say that “production of the humanoid Pepper… was stopped last year”, adding that “it would be costly to restart production”.

Pepper was being manufactured by Foxconn, famous for being Apple’s main manufacturer. [Read more…] about SoftBank to halt production of Pepper and reduce its robotics business, says Reuters

SoftBank Robotics launches educational IDE for Pepper robot

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SoftBank Robotics Americas has launched an integrated development environment for its humanoid Pepper robot.

SoftBank calls the IDE “Tethys”, and says it has been created to teach students how to code.

The standalone visual programming software can connect to their humanoid robot, Pepper, to program full functionality of the robot in real time.

SBRA’s first commercially available software tool is the latest milestone in their longstanding education initiative spanning Nao, Pepper, and their partnership with the SoftBank Group. [Read more…] about SoftBank Robotics launches educational IDE for Pepper robot

CloudMinds opens cloud robotics support centre in Chile

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CloudMinds Technology, a provider of cloud artificial intelligence architecture for robots, has opened a new support centre in Santiago, Chile.

The company says the office will expand support for customers across Mexico and South America. The new operation will report to the company’s global co-headquarters in Santa Clara, California.

said Robert Zhang, company co-founder and president of international business development, says: “Our new operation in Latin America is a reflection of the continued global momentum CloudMinds has been building, driven by our proprietary cloud artificial intelligence architecture and cloud robot solutions that are already helping to transform various industry verticals around the world. [Read more…] about CloudMinds opens cloud robotics support centre in Chile

Haier partners with SoftBank Robotics to develop service robots

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Haier and Soft Bank Robotics Group Corp. (SBRG) have launched a strategic partnership for the service robot market in China’s smart store and smart home fields, starting with SBRG’s humanoid robot ‘Pepper’.

The two companies will jointly develop a special version of Pepper, which is based on U+OS, an open system developed by Haier.

‘Pepper’, SBRG’s humanoid robot, is the first robot to be integrated into Haier smart home platform. Possessing a human-like appearance, it can be linked with a variety of smart appliances and equipment.

[Read more…] about Haier partners with SoftBank Robotics to develop service robots

Humanoid robot market to grow to $4 billion in five years

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The market for humanoid robots is forecast to grow to $4 billion in about five years, according to a new report by ReportsnReports. 

The researcher values the current market at approximately $320 million in 2017. So that would mean annual growth of more than 50 per cent.

Humanoids include such robots as Pepper and Nao, which are owned by SoftBank Robotics, as well as Emiew, produced by Hitachi, and Honda’s famous Asimo, although that one is more of an exhibition robot.

The others, like Nao and Pepper, for example, are already finding many buyers. SoftBank says it has sold 10,000 units of Nao, and it releases batches of 1,000 at a time of the Pepper robot, and it sells out online within minutes.  [Read more…] about Humanoid robot market to grow to $4 billion in five years

Paris city hall gives jobs to Pepper and Nao robots

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Pepper and Nao now busy working at the city hall of the fifteenth district of Paris

Paris has become the first city in France, and one of the few cities in the world, to have employed humanoid robots in its city hall. 

The city hall of the fifteenth district of Paris has just received two robots created by SoftBank Robotics, namely the Pepper and Nao robots.

The two small robots also integrate applications powered by the Hoomano company.  [Read more…] about Paris city hall gives jobs to Pepper and Nao robots

Telecommunications company Sprint to employ Pepper robot for customer relations

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US telecommunications company Sprint is employing Pepper, the humanoid robot from SoftBank Robotics, for customer relations.

SoftBank Robotics America and Sprint to will initially place Pepper in locations where it will interact with Sprint business clients and retail customers.

Pepper is said to be the first humanoid marketing platform that could help businesses and consumers embrace the power of robotics and artificial intelligence.  [Read more…] about Telecommunications company Sprint to employ Pepper robot for customer relations

Pepper lands a job on luxury cruise liner

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Costa Cruises is bringing five of the latest generation of Pepper robots on board the flagship of the fleet, to entertain guests during their vacations

Costa Diadema, flagship of the Costa Cruises fleet, has introduced Pepper, the first robot in the world able to recognize main human emotions and proactively interact with the surrounding environment.

Five Pepper robots will be operative on all seven-day cruises of the Costa’s flagship in the Western Mediterranean: their task will be to entertain cruise passengers, making their on board experience even more unique and unforgettable.

This innovation, unique in the cruise industry, is the result of an agreement signed between the Italian cruise company and SoftBank Robotics (formerly Aldebaran), part of SoftBank Group, announced late last year.  [Read more…] about Pepper lands a job on luxury cruise liner

SoftBank to buy ARM

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softbank-pepper-robot

Japanese communications giant SoftBank is to acquire ARM Holdings for £24.3 billion, according to a report on the Financial Times website. 

SoftBank has been on something of a spending spree in recent years and is looking to raise its profile in markets outside of Asia, where it is already well-known.

The company is particularly interested in computer technology –including artificial intelligence, robotics and automation — and the proposed takeover of ARM would seem to fit into this plan.  [Read more…] about SoftBank to buy ARM

Robots being employed as receptionists and office managers

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betty robot strands project
Some robot to watch over the workers

Japanese people may have become somewhat accustomed to the sight of a robot greeting them when they enter a store or some such place since robots have been employed as receptionists in Japan for some time now. 

However, Europe is catching up, with new reports of two separate instances of robots being employed as receptionists.

In one report, the Guardian highlights the employment of Pepper, the SoftBank robot, now greeting visitors and patients at hospitals in Liege and Ostend, in Belgium.

In another report, the Telegraph showcases Betty the robot, who is employed managing an office in Milton Keynes, UK. Developed by the Strands Project, Betty may not be as aesthetically pleasing as Pepper, but she has more responsibilities, such as checking to see if staff are working late and if doors are closed and so on.