Remember Pepper — the humanoid bot that was released in Japan in 2015 and dubbed "emotional" — selling out in just a minute? Guess what, Pepper is set to make its debut in the U.S. and will soon land stateside.
On May 18, SoftBank Robotics, the creator of the robot, announced that developers can now create applications for the Linux-based bot Pepper, using Android tools. Yes, Pepper is getting Android developer tools!
Pepper will not only be getting support for the Android developer platform, but also Android Studio. Moreover, SoftBank will also push out a new portal for developers that will help them connect with other developers and offer detailed explanations.
Since most developers who would be creating apps for Pepper will not have access to the bot, the SDK will have a virtual avatar, which can be easily controlled and programmed.
"This is the first opportunity for the Android community to get their hands on an SDK to help them program on this platform," said Steve Carlin, vice president of marketing and business development at SoftBank Robotics America.
The move to introduce SDK for Pepper could potentially help give a fillip to the bot's sales and broaden its reach. However, the decision could throw the power baton to Google, which owns the Android OS, giving it the control over app approvals, as well as a cut from the revenue generated.
For the unfamiliar, the humanoid bot is 4 feet tall, three-wheel-based and has a childlike upper body. On its chest is a tablet that can be used for communicating or engaging with Pepper, but it can also communicate through speech.
The Android software will essentially fuel the tablet on Pepper's chest. The OS will run in tandem with the Naoqi OS from SoftBank, which controls the bot's hardware.
Pepper can also detect the change in the tone of voice and facial expressions of humans. The cloud-based bot can be updated continuously with new data.
In September 2014, Tech Times reported that SoftBank had plans of selling Pepper in the U.S. via the Sprint stores, after a year of being sold in Japan. With the arrival of the SDK for Pepper, it seems that the dream is not a very distant one.
