{"id":339758,"date":"2017-05-02T00:00:39","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T16:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1483234"},"modified":"2017-05-02T00:00:39","modified_gmt":"2017-05-01T16:00:39","slug":"softbank-makes-it-easier-to-customize-pepper-the-robots-greeting-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/softbank-makes-it-easier-to-customize-pepper-the-robots-greeting-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"Softbank makes it easier to customize Pepper the robot\u2019s greeting skills"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Until now, Pepper the robot<\/a> has required programming knowledge to control, a fact that\u2019s proven a pain point toward wider adoption (well, that and the fact that it hasn\u2019t started shipping widely here in the US). This morning, the company debuted Promoter, a browser-based solution that lets anyone customize the robot\u2019s movements \u2013 albeit within a fairly limited scope.<\/p>\n

The Promoter application, which the company promises will be the first of several solutions to come, is essentially a mix of choosing between responses and filling out text forms, in order to provide a relatively differentiated experience when the robot interacts with customers, grabbing their attention out in front of a store and attempting to convince them to surrender important contact and other marketable information on its tablet.<\/p>\n

The company says using the app requires \u201ca Facebook level of user,\u201d which I can confirm, having walked through a demo. Of course, that limits the level of sophisticated actions the robot can perform as a response. It\u2019s more like choosing canned responses to various inputs. Though it still has some interesting tricks like tailoring responses based on the system\u2019s attempts to determine age, gender and emotional responses based on visual data.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As far as out-of-the-box robotics programming solutions go, this is all pretty simple stuff. And while Softbank has promised more to come from its team, the first solution out of the gate makes it pretty clear the key application the company expects its robot to fulfill, attracting customers with its novelty and pulling them into a place of business or getting information from them.<\/p>\n

Given the high sophistication of the technology that has gone into creating Pepper, it\u2019s kind of a shame that we\u2019re not seeing it used in more interesting settings than essentially serving as a store greeter. And with\u00a0the robot\u2019s starting cost of $25,000 for a retail package, that\u2019s going to require a heck of a lot of email signups to justify the cost.<\/p>\n

With Pepper\u2019s predecessor\u00a0Nao<\/a>, the company\u00a0demonstrated that it was capable of making an advanced research robot, ditto for the more advanced Romeo<\/a>. \u00a0When it\u00a0introduced Pepper\u00a0a half-dozen years later, it was clear that it had more populist aims. Instead of laboratories and robotics matches, the humanoid bot has gotten most of its face time greeting people in shopping malls and airports.<\/p>\n

The company has promised future applications of this nature to help expand Pepper\u2019s potential usability.\u00a0Softbank has been aggressive about opening the robot up to makers to showcase its potential function, but thus far, the robot has been most limited to being a highly articulated mobile kiosk. Perhaps we\u2019ll see more from Pepper before it launches here in the States in July.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" Until now, Pepper the robot has required programming knowledge to control, a fact that’s proven a pain point toward wider adoption (well, that and the fact that it hasn’t started shipping widely here in the US). This morning, the company debuted Promoter, a browser-based solution that lets anyone customize the robot’s movements – albeit within a fairly limited scope.… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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