Pepper is designed to understand human emotions – exhibited through facial expression, body language and words – and adapt to it. Pepper is currently used in a business environment, acting as an assistant in shops, though may one day be available for use in the home.
Watson, developed by IBM, is a cognitive technology that processes and understands information and data. “Today, the power of cognitive computing can be woven into any form factor. Our collaboration with SBRH [SoftBank Robotics Holdings] on Pepper will allow a much broader audience to experience and tap into Watson,” said Watson’s senior vice president Mike Rhodin.
Exact details of how the two companies will work together have not yet been revealed, but they have said they are “exploring a range of use cases” for Pepper, ranging from “an in-class teaching assistant to a nursing aide”.