What is a Pepper Robot? The Rise, Fall, and Legacy of the World's First Social Humanoid
- Muiz As-Siddeeqi
- Oct 16
- 20 min read
The Promise That Changed Everything
Picture walking into your bank and seeing a small, white humanoid robot rolling toward you with glowing eyes and outstretched hands. It greets you by name, recognizes your smile, and offers help in a cheerful voice. That robot was Pepper—and for a brief moment, it looked like the future had arrived.
Between 2014 and 2021, Pepper became the most recognized social robot on Earth. It worked in banks, hospitals, schools, and pizza parlors across 70 countries. HSBC Bank saw foot traffic jump by 500% after installing Pepper robots. But by June 2025, its creator—Aldebaran Robotics—shut down permanently with €60 million in debt, and Pepper's production had stopped years earlier.
This is the story of what Pepper was, how it worked, where it succeeded spectacularly, why it failed repeatedly, and what its legacy means for the robots being built right now.
TL;DR
Pepper is a 1.2-meter humanoid robot designed to recognize human emotions through facial expressions and voice tone
Created by Aldebaran Robotics (owned by SoftBank), unveiled June 2014 in Tokyo
27,000 units sold globally before production paused in 2021 due to weak demand
Cost $1,600-$32,000 depending on region and model, plus monthly subscription fees
Aldebaran liquidated in June 2025 with debts exceeding €60 million, ending future support
Major success at HSBC Bank (60% increase in new business), but failed at many retail locations
Technical limits included mobility restrictions, limited conversation ability, and reliability issues
Pepper is a semi-humanoid social robot manufactured by Aldebaran Robotics and designed to recognize human emotions through facial expression and voice analysis. Standing 1.2 meters tall with a wheeled base and tablet on its chest, Pepper was created for customer service, education, and companionship. It can speak 15 languages, recognize faces, and interact naturally with people through conversation and gestures.
Table of Contents
What Pepper Robot Actually Is
Pepper is a semi-humanoid social robot built to interact with humans in public spaces. Unlike industrial robots that weld cars or package products, Pepper was designed specifically for one purpose: connecting with people emotionally.
Aldebaran Robotics (formerly SoftBank Robotics Europe) created Pepper with the ability to read emotions through facial expressions and voice tone analysis. Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank, introduced Pepper in Tokyo on June 5, 2014.
The robot stands 1.2 meters tall, weighs 28 kilograms, and carries a 10.1-inch touchscreen on its chest. It doesn't walk on legs—instead, it glides on wheels, making it stable but limiting where it can go.
Pepper was designed to connect with people, assist them, and share knowledge while helping businesses attract customers and provide service.
The robot's purpose wasn't to replace humans at complex tasks. According to its creators, Pepper is intended "to make people enjoy life," enhance people's lives, facilitate relationships, have fun with people, and connect people with the outside world.
The Origin Story
The Birth of Aldebaran
Bruno Maisonnier launched Aldebaran Robotics in Paris in 2005, aiming to capitalize on a golden age of optimism in robotics when Honda's ASIMO robot was already world-famous and institutions were investing heavily in human-robot interaction research.
Aldebaran engineers developed their first prototypes to fill a void left when Sony discontinued its popular AIBO robotic dog in 2006. Their first creation was NAO—a smaller bipedal robot that became the standard platform for RoboCup soccer competitions.
SoftBank's Bold Vision
In 2012, SoftBank Group acquired Aldebaran for $100 million. The Japanese telecommunications giant saw an opportunity to create the world's first mass-market emotional robot.
Masayoshi Son said a lot of effort went into developing Pepper's software, with the main goal of making Pepper able to recognize people's emotions by analyzing speech, facial expressions, and body language, then delivering appropriate responses. As Son put it, their goal was "giving the robot a heart".
The Big Launch
Pepper went on sale in June 2015 at 198,000 yen (about $1,650), with the first batch of 1,000 units selling out in just 60 seconds.
The robot's appeal was immediate. SoftBank partnered with Alibaba and Foxconn (which manufactures iPhones), with each company taking a 20% stake in SoftBank Robotics Holdings, raising $236 million to expand Pepper internationally.
Pepper was launched in the UK in 2016. By May 2018, 12,000 Pepper robots had been sold in Europe.
How Pepper Works: Technical Specifications
Physical Design
Specification | Details |
Height | 1.2 meters (4 feet) |
Weight | 28-30 kg |
Degrees of Freedom | 20 DOF total |
Head | 2 DOF |
Arms | 2 DOF per shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand |
Base | 3 DOF (wheeled omnidirectional base) |
Movement Speed | 0.5 m/s (approximately 3 km/h) |
Sensors and Perception
Pepper's head contains two HD 5-megapixel cameras in the mouth and forehead, a 3D depth sensor (ASUS Xtion) behind the eyes, four directional microphones, and three touch sensors. The torso has a gyroscope, and the hands have two touch sensors.
The mobile base includes two ultrasound transmitters and receivers, six laser sensors, three bumper sensors, and infrared sensors providing information about nearby objects up to 3 meters away, helping reduce the risk of collisions.
Computing and Power
Pepper runs on an Intel Atom E3845 processor with a quad-core CPU clocked at 1.91 GHz, 4 GB RAM, and 32 GB flash memory. It powers its operations with a 30Ah lithium-ion battery providing approximately 12 hours of operation, taking about 8 hours to fully charge.
Software Platform
Pepper runs on the NAOqi operating system (Linux-based) and supports multiple programming languages including Python, C++, Java, JavaScript, and ROS (Robot Operating System). It connects to Android Studio via SDKs for app development.
A graphical development system called Choregraphe allows developers to create applications for Pepper through visual programming, and developers can test their creations on a virtual Pepper before deploying to a physical robot.
Communication Capabilities
Pepper recognizes and speaks 15 languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic, Japanese, and Dutch.
Pepper displays information and highlights messages through its 10.1-inch tablet on its chest, has two speakers for audio output, and connects via Bluetooth, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi.
Pepper's "Emotion Engine" Explained
The feature that made Pepper revolutionary in 2014 was its claimed ability to recognize and respond to human emotions.
How It Works
Pepper's ability to recognize emotion is based on detection and analysis of facial expressions and voice tones.
Pepper's emotion engine attempts to make sense of users' feelings through recognition of facial gestures, voice tone, and speech—allowing for a suitable response.
A key feature of Pepper was that it could recognize basic emotions in people—smiles, frowns, looks of surprise, anger, and sadness.
Cloud-Based Learning
According to Masayoshi Son, robots deployed at SoftBank stores would collect data on their interactions with people. When Pepper tells a joke, it observes if people laugh. The robots upload their data to a cloud-based repository, creating what Son called "cloud AI" to use the combined data to improve Pepper's behavior. "The robot is going to evolve through this collective wisdom," he said.
Reality Check
In practice, the emotion recognition often fell short. When Pepper visited the Financial Times office in London, people were attracted and amused by the initial experience, but Pepper failed in every way to be a companion, recognize emotional cues reliably, converse intelligently, and provide any level of service other than first-time entertainment.
Where Pepper Worked: Real Deployments
Banking and Finance
HSBC Bank (United States and Canada)
HSBC Bank USA became the first bank in the United States to deploy Pepper robots, starting at its flagship Manhattan branch on Fifth Avenue in June 2018, later expanding to Beverly Hills, Seattle, Miami, and Toronto.
Mizuho Financial Group (Japan) and Emirates NBD (Dubai) also deployed Pepper in their branches.
Retail and Hospitality
Pepper has been used at all branches of Hamazushi restaurants in Japan.
Nestlé Japan became Pepper's first major corporate buyer, starting with 20 Peppers and planning to deploy them in 1,000 Nescafé stores to explain products and engage with consumers.
Pizza Hut partnered with MasterCard in 2016 to deploy Pepper in select restaurants across Asia for taking orders and accepting payments through MasterPass.
Pepper was previously introduced at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in 2017, programmed to help travelers find food and drink establishments.
Healthcare
Pepper has been deployed in hospitals and medical facilities to support scheduling, guide visitors through facilities, collect health data, and offer companionship for geriatric patients.
In 2017, an international research project called CARESSES aimed at developing the world's first culturally-competent robot for elderly care, receiving funding worth more than two million Euros from the European Union and Japanese government for a three-year research program.
Education
As part of a pilot program, more than 1,000 students in about 20 public schools in Boston, San Francisco, and Vancouver used the Tethys visual programming tool to learn coding with Pepper robots.
SoftBank donated over 100 Pepper robots to schools over two years to make the technology accessible for STEM education.
Entertainment and Public Events
In December 2019, a dozen Pepper robots were installed at the Pepper PARLOR cafe in Tokyo, Japan.
On July 9, 2020, a team of Pepper robots performed as cheerleaders at a baseball game between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Rakuten Eagles, supported by Boston Dynamics Spot robots.
The HSBC Bank Success Story
The most successful Pepper deployment provides concrete data about what worked.
The Results
Jeremy Balkin, HSBC USA's Head of Innovation, reported a 60% increase in new business at the flagship Manhattan branch compared to the prior year and more than a five-fold increase in foot traffic since Pepper was introduced. The bank tallied more than 1 billion social media impressions about the robot, with 99% expressing positive sentiment.
Pablo Sanchez, Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management for HSBC in the U.S. and Canada, said there were cases where people saw Pepper through the window, came in, interacted with the robot, and then opened multiple accounts—for millions of dollars in some cases.
Specific Metrics
At U.S. branches with Pepper, HSBC reported ATM usage rose by 10%, which the bank attributed to the robot directing customers to the machines. The technology was also credited with reducing average wait times from four minutes to one minute at one location and driving notable increases in new credit card applications.
In the first month at the Fifth Avenue branch, Pepper received roughly 450 questions about HSBC's products alone. The most common products people inquired about were credit cards (especially the World Elite Mastercard) and checking accounts. The average time Pepper took to answer a question was 1.3 seconds.
Why It Worked
Before deploying Pepper, HSBC conducted a three-month study and found that 73% of interactions were binary or generic interactions, such as asking about ATM locations. When a line at the teller station is five people deep, those queries take up time that could be spent on more demanding tasks.
Jeremy Balkin noted that interaction with the robot at branches averaged about 56 seconds. "We don't want people walking past the branch, we want people walking in the branch. And we see that Pepper can drive traffic, drive attention".
HSBC saw an overall increase in new business as a result of more than 25,000 customer interactions with Pepper.
When Pepper Failed Spectacularly
Not every Pepper deployment succeeded. Some failures revealed the robot's fundamental limitations.
The Edinburgh Supermarket Disaster
Pepper (nicknamed "Fabio") was deployed at Margiotta Food & Wine in Edinburgh, Scotland, for a BBC documentary. The robot was programmed with directions to hundreds of items and equipped with greetings, high fives, jokes, and hugs.
After just one week, the store fired Pepper. Customers found its answers too vague—telling them beer could be found "in the alcohol section" rather than directing them to the actual location. The robot also couldn't hear questions due to ambient noise and lacked the room to maneuver effectively.
When reassigned to hand out sausage samples, a human employee enticed 12 customers to try the food in 15 minutes, while Pepper attracted only two. Customers were scared of the knife-wielding robot and stayed away.
Elena Margiotta, who runs the store chain, said: "Unfortunately Fabio didn't perform as well as we had hoped. People seemed to be actually avoiding him".
Other Notable Failures
In September 2015, a visitor frustrated with his customer experience in Tokyo lashed out against Pepper, damaging the unit.
A line of funeral homes in Japan hired Pepper to chant sutras or scriptures for Buddhist funeral rites. Unfortunately, Pepper kept stopping in the middle of ceremonies.
Pepper robots hired to lead cheers at baseball games were let go for "acting creepy." Others were fired for taking too many unscheduled breaks.
Why Failures Happened
The emotion recognition aspects that were supposed to be Pepper's strength didn't appear important in practice. The entertainment value attracted crowds initially, but this temporary phenomenon didn't persist over time. Similar to restaurants in China that began using rudimentary robots as servers, reports emerged of those robots being retired because their entertainment value wore off and their inflexibility became evident.
Cost and Pricing Models
Pepper's pricing varied significantly by region and target market.
Japan Consumer Model (2015-2016)
Pepper was priced at 198,000 yen (approximately $1,600-$1,650) for the robot itself, but was sold on a subscription contract including network data plan and equipment insurance costing $360 per month. Over the mandatory 36-month contract, this brought the total cost of ownership to over $14,000.
United States Business/Education Model
In the United States, Pepper cost $30,000 for businesses and universities with an educational discount, or approximately $32,000 at full price.
Alternatively, businesses could pay $2,000 upfront with a $550 per month subscription fee for maintenance and software updates.
Enterprise Rental Model (Japan)
SoftBank offered "Pepper for Biz" at 55,000 yen (about $440) per month to rent, with mandatory 36-month contracts totaling about $15,940 in rental charges.
Later Models
United Robotics Group (which acquired Aldebaran from SoftBank) released the Plato hospitality robot costing $800 per month to lease.
Pros and Cons
Advantages
Customer Magnet
Pepper creates memorable experiences. Whether greeting shoppers or assisting patients, it's hard not to notice and attracts attention like no human employee could.
Data Collection
Every interaction helps businesses better understand their audience. Pepper gathers data over conversations, learning people's tastes, preferences, and habits to help personalize responses. You get analytics alongside customer service.
Brand Innovation Signal
Pepper says "tech-forward" louder than any marketing campaign. It positions businesses as innovative and future-oriented.
Consistency
Always consistent, always friendly and welcoming, Pepper ensures every interaction with every customer or staff member is positive and professional.
Task Efficiency
Always on and never bored, Pepper handles routine, repetitive tasks, freeing up human employees for more valuable responsibilities.
Disadvantages
Mobility Limitations
Pepper can only move on smooth, flat surfaces. Stairs, gravel, or uneven terrain are impossible obstacles.
Limited Conversations
Responses are limited to what's programmed in the database. Don't expect witty comebacks or deep discussions.
High Cost
At approximately $32,000, Pepper may be prohibitively expensive for startups or smaller operations.
Reliability Issues
Multiple documented cases show Pepper malfunctioning, failing to understand questions in noisy environments, and providing unhelpful responses.
No Manufacturer Support
In 2025, Aldebaran Robotics went into receivership, ending manufacturer support and future development.
Myths vs Facts
Myth | Fact |
Pepper can replace human employees | Pepper was designed to handle routine, binary questions (like ATM locations), freeing humans for complex tasks. HSBC executives said Pepper actually drove hiring because increased foot traffic required more staff |
Pepper can read emotions accurately | Field tests showed emotion recognition was Pepper's weakest feature, often failing to recognize emotional cues or converse reliably |
Pepper is autonomous | Pepper requires human oversight, frequent software updates, and cannot handle unexpected situations |
Pepper can handle all customer service | Multiple deployments failed because Pepper gave vague answers, couldn't hear in noisy environments, and couldn't physically navigate to show customers where products were located |
Pepper is currently in production | Production of Pepper was paused in June 2021 due to weak demand. By 2025, the manufacturer entered liquidation |
Comparison: Pepper vs Modern Humanoid Robots
Feature | Pepper (2014-2021) | Tesla Optimus (2025) | Boston Dynamics Atlas (2025) |
Height | 1.2m | ~1.7m | 1.5m |
Mobility | Wheeled base only | Bipedal walking | Advanced bipedal + parkour |
Primary Purpose | Social interaction, customer service | General-purpose tasks, manufacturing | Research, complex mobility |
Conversation | Pre-programmed responses | AI-powered natural language | Limited |
Manipulation | Simple gestures only | Object handling, tool use | Advanced object manipulation |
Cost | $14,000-$32,000 | TBD (estimated $20,000-30,000) | Not commercially available |
Status | Discontinued (2021) | In development | Research platform |
Compared to today's humanoids, Pepper and NAO were limited in capability and robustness for commercial applications. Modern humanoids have better balance and autonomous navigation, have begun to manipulate items, and can interact with people more naturally thanks to recent advances in generative AI.
The Fall of Aldebaran Robotics
The Peak Years (2012-2021)
From 2012 to 2022, during SoftBank's ownership, was considered Aldebaran's heyday. The company shipped tens of thousands of emotionally responsive humanoids at global scale.
The company sold about 20,000 NAO robots and 17,000 Pepper humanoids to 70 countries, but stopped producing Pepper in 2020 or 2021.
Weak Demand and Production Halt
In June 2021, it was reported SoftBank would pause production of Pepper, citing weak demand. At the time, an estimated 27,000 units had been manufactured. Reuters sources said sales suffered from limited functionality and unreliability.
In 2015, only 15% of companies planned to renew their three-year contracts for Pepper.
Change of Ownership
SoftBank sold Aldebaran to United Robotics Group (URG), a German company and subsidiary of RAG-Stiftung. URG had been the primary distributor of NAO and Pepper in Europe since 2021.
After acquisition by URG, the situation began to deteriorate. Employees reported URG "no longer wanted to invest in the company" and "asked us to be profitable within two years" even though development "cycles take five to seven years." The company also underinvested in research and development.
Final Collapse
In 2024, URG stopped funding Aldebaran, which recorded an operating loss of about $29 million for the previous year. Aldebaran filed for bankruptcy in mid-February 2025.
A judicial panel put Paris-based Aldebaran in receivership on June 2, 2025. The Paris Commercial Court passed the verdict declaring "immediate cessation of activity" and termination of contracts for the company's remaining 106 employees.
The receiver is now selling off Aldebaran's assets, including patents, to settle outstanding debts exceeding €60 million ($68 million).
Two potential buyers—Franco-Swiss entrepreneur Jean-Marie Van Appelghem and Canadian investor Malik Bachouchi—made bids for the company. However, Van Appelghem's offer wasn't backed by the receiver and management, while Bachouchi's proposal was rejected by the court.
What Happens to Existing Pepper Robots
Support Challenges
With Aldebaran in liquidation, existing Pepper owners face an uncertain future regarding maintenance, software updates, and technical support.
RobotLAB Steps In
RobotLAB, which services and maintains thousands of Aldebaran robots worldwide, announced that a well-capitalized group is acquiring Aldebaran's intellectual property and core engineering team to launch a new entity: NAO Robotics SA, with 59 engineers already onboard and development on NAO V7 resuming.
Elad Inbar, CEO of RobotLAB, stated: "We've been here since the beginning – and we're still here. Our customers will experience zero disruption. We have NAO robots in stock, the parts, the tools, and the expertise to fully support existing and new deployments".
RobotLAB has deployed over 6,500 NAO robots in North America and is currently stocked for immediate U.S. delivery.
Note: This support primarily covers NAO robots. Pepper's future remains uncertain, though some existing units may receive limited support.
Future Outlook
No New Pepper Production
With Aldebaran's liquidation and SoftBank's confirmed halt of production in 2021, no new Pepper robots will be manufactured.
Limited Parts and Service
Existing Pepper robots will face increasing difficulty obtaining parts and service as inventory depletes.
Lessons for Next-Generation Robots
As an international arms race pushes numerous firms to bring AI-powered humanoids into daily life, most will inevitably discover what Aldebaran learned: The future is easy to imagine but nearly impossible to sustain.
Pepper's story teaches that:
Novelty wears off: Entertainment value alone doesn't sustain commercial viability
Reliability matters more than charm: Businesses need consistent performance, not occasional delight
Narrow use cases work better: Pepper succeeded at HSBC where tasks were well-defined and simple
Cost must match value: At $14,000-$32,000, Pepper needed to deliver clear ROI
Long-term support is essential: Without manufacturer backing, even successful deployments face problems
The Technology Advances
Today's humanoids have better balance and autonomous navigation, have begun to manipulate items, and can interact with people more naturally thanks to recent advances in generative AI.
Pepper's pioneering work in emotion recognition, natural language processing, and social robotics laid groundwork for current developments in humanoid robots from companies like Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Figure AI.
FAQ
Q1: Is Pepper robot still available to buy?
No. Production stopped in June 2021, and the manufacturer Aldebaran entered liquidation in June 2025. Some refurbished or used units may be available through third-party resellers, but new units are not being produced.
Q2: How much did Pepper robot cost?
Pricing varied by region. In Japan, consumers paid approximately $1,600 plus $360/month subscription (totaling $14,000 over 36 months). In the U.S., businesses and universities paid $20,000-$32,000 outright or $2,000 upfront with $550/month subscription.
Q3: Can Pepper really understand human emotions?
Pepper was designed to recognize basic emotions through facial expression and voice tone analysis, but field testing showed this feature was unreliable. Multiple real-world deployments reported that Pepper failed to recognize emotional cues or respond appropriately.
Q4: What languages does Pepper speak?
Pepper can recognize and speak 15 languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic, Japanese, and Dutch.
Q5: Can Pepper climb stairs?
No. Pepper moves on a wheeled base and can only operate on smooth, flat surfaces. Stairs, gravel, and uneven terrain are impassable obstacles.
Q6: How long does Pepper's battery last?
The 30Ah lithium-ion battery provides approximately 12 hours of operation depending on usage. Full charging takes about 8 hours.
Q7: Was Pepper a commercial success?
Mixed results. Approximately 27,000 units were sold globally, with notable success at HSBC Bank (60% increase in new business) but numerous failures elsewhere. Only 15% of companies renewed their three-year contracts, and production stopped due to weak demand.
Q8: Who owns Pepper's technology now?
Aldebaran's intellectual property is being sold off during liquidation proceedings. A new entity called NAO Robotics SA is reportedly acquiring some assets and engineers, primarily focused on the NAO robot rather than Pepper.
Q9: What jobs can Pepper do?
Pepper excels at greeting customers, answering simple factual questions, directing people to locations, providing product information, and collecting basic data. It cannot handle complex conversations, physical tasks beyond simple gestures, or operate in challenging environments.
Q10: Is there customer support for existing Pepper robots?
Limited support exists through third-party providers like RobotLAB, which maintains NAO robots. However, Pepper-specific support is uncertain following Aldebaran's liquidation.
Q11: How tall is Pepper robot?
Pepper stands 1.2 meters (approximately 4 feet) tall.
Q12: Can Pepper be programmed by users?
Yes. Pepper supports programming in Python, C++, Java, JavaScript, and ROS. SoftBank provided Choregraphe, a graphical development tool, and various SDKs for creating custom applications.
Q13: Does Pepper have arms and hands?
Yes. Pepper has articulated arms with 2 degrees of freedom each for shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands, allowing for expressive gestures. However, it cannot manipulate objects or perform physical tasks.
Q14: How many Pepper robots were sold?
Approximately 27,000 Pepper robots were manufactured and sold to customers in 70 countries before production ceased in 2021.
Q15: What happened to Pepper at HSBC?
HSBC reported major success, with a 60% increase in new business at its Manhattan flagship branch, 500% increase in foot traffic, and more than 1 billion social media impressions. The bank expanded Pepper to multiple U.S. and Canadian locations.
Q16: Why did Pepper fail at the Edinburgh supermarket?
The robot was fired after one week because it gave vague answers, couldn't hear questions in the noisy environment, lacked mobility to guide customers to products, and ultimately drove customers away rather than helping them.
Q17: Can Pepper work in hospitals?
Yes. Pepper has been deployed in hospitals for tasks like scheduling assistance, visitor guidance, basic health data collection, and companionship for elderly patients. Effectiveness varies by specific use case.
Q18: Is Pepper waterproof or weather-resistant?
No. Pepper is designed for indoor use only in controlled environments with temperatures between 5-35°C.
Q19: How does Pepper compare to newer humanoid robots?
Modern humanoids have significantly better mobility (bipedal walking), object manipulation capabilities, AI-powered natural conversation, and autonomous navigation. Pepper's wheeled base, limited AI, and pre-programmed responses are now outdated.
Q20: Will there be a Pepper 2.0 or successor?
No successor is planned. With Aldebaran's liquidation and SoftBank's exit from social robotics, no Pepper 2.0 is in development. The focus has shifted to NAO's next generation (V7) through NAO Robotics SA.
Key Takeaways
Pepper was the world's first mass-produced social humanoid robot designed to recognize and respond to human emotions, representing a major milestone in human-robot interaction
Commercial viability proved elusive despite selling 27,000 units—only 15% of businesses renewed contracts, and production ceased in 2021 due to weak demand
Success was context-dependent: HSBC Bank saw remarkable results (60% increase in new business, 500% foot traffic increase), while retail and hospitality deployments often failed within weeks
Technical limitations were significant: Pepper struggled with mobility (wheeled base only), conversation depth (pre-programmed responses), ambient noise sensitivity, and reliability issues
Pricing was a barrier: At $14,000-$32,000 total cost, the value proposition didn't justify the expense for most businesses
The manufacturer collapsed: Aldebaran Robotics entered judicial liquidation in June 2025 with €60 million in debt, ending future support and development
Lessons inform next-generation robots: Pepper's pioneering work in emotion recognition and social interaction laid groundwork for today's more advanced humanoid robots from Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and others
Legacy remains important: Despite commercial failure, Pepper demonstrated that humanoid robots could work alongside humans in public-facing roles and advanced the field of social robotics
Next Steps
For Current Owners: Contact RobotLAB or authorized third-party service providers about continued support and parts availability for your existing Pepper units.
For Those Considering Social Robots: Evaluate modern alternatives with better AI capabilities, including purpose-built service robots or next-generation humanoids entering the market in 2025-2026.
For Researchers and Educators: Consider NAO robots (supported by NAO Robotics SA) as a more sustainable platform for STEM education and human-robot interaction research.
For Businesses: Assess whether your use case matches Pepper's successful deployments (simple, repetitive customer interactions in controlled environments) before investing in any social robot.
For Developers: Explore more modern robot platforms with better manufacturer support, active developer communities, and integration with contemporary AI systems like large language models.
Glossary
Aldebaran Robotics: French robotics company founded in 2005 that created NAO and Pepper robots. Acquired by SoftBank in 2012, later sold to United Robotics Group, and entered liquidation in June 2025.
Choregraphe: Graphical software development tool created by SoftBank allowing visual programming of Pepper robot applications without extensive coding knowledge.
Degrees of Freedom (DOF): The number of independent movements a robot can make. Pepper has 20 DOF across its head, arms, hands, and base.
Emotion Engine: Pepper's software system designed to recognize human emotions through facial expression analysis, voice tone detection, and speech patterns to generate appropriate responses.
Humanoid Robot: A robot with a body shape resembling the human form, typically with a head, torso, arms, and legs (or wheeled base). Designed for interaction with humans in human-designed environments.
NAOqi: Linux-based operating system developed by Aldebaran specifically for NAO and Pepper robots, providing core functions for perception, motion, and interaction.
RoboCup: International robotics competition where autonomous robot teams compete in soccer matches. NAO robots became the standard platform after replacing Honda's ASIMO.
ROS (Robot Operating System): Open-source framework providing tools and libraries for robot software development, supported by Pepper for advanced programming.
Semi-humanoid: A robot with some but not all human-like features. Pepper is semi-humanoid because it has a head, torso, and arms, but uses a wheeled base instead of legs.
Social Robot: A robot specifically designed to interact with humans through social behaviors, communication, and emotional responses rather than performing industrial tasks.
SoftBank Robotics: Division of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group focused on robotics, which acquired Aldebaran in 2012 and developed Pepper before selling the division to United Robotics Group.
Subscription Model: Pepper's pricing structure requiring monthly payments for data services, insurance, and software updates in addition to the initial purchase price.
United Robotics Group (URG): German robotics company and RAG-Stiftung subsidiary that acquired Aldebaran from SoftBank, later stopped funding leading to Aldebaran's bankruptcy.
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Streeter, Bill. "Seriously Successful Results From HSBC Bank's Branch Robot Rollout." The Financial Brand, April 7, 2022. https://thefinancialbrand.com/news/banking-branch-transformation/hsbc-banks-branch-robot-pepper-digital-transformation-phygital-84245
FinTech Magazine. "HSBC rolls out SoftBank's robot Pepper to achieve 'Branch of the Future'." May 16, 2020. https://fintechmagazine.com/banking/hsbc-rolls-out-softbanks-robot-pepper-achieve-branch-future
Finovate. "Pepper Power: HSBC Brings Robot Retail Banking to FinovateFall." July 31, 2019. https://finovate.com/pepper-power-hsbc-brings-robot-retail-banking-to-finovatefall/
Boisvert, Nick. "HSBC introduces 'Pepper' the robot — promising fun, efficiency and job growth." CBC News, August 28, 2019. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/hsbc-introduces-pepper-the-robot-promising-fun-efficiency-and-job-growth-1.5261812
GeekWire. "Can a robot spice up the retail banking experience? HSBC's 'Pepper' is now on the job at Seattle branch." March 12, 2019. https://www.geekwire.com/2019/can-robot-spice-retail-banking-experience-hsbcs-pepper-now-job-seattle-branch/
PaymentsSource. "HSBC, Softbank's Pepper robot picks security over payments." June 26, 2018. https://www.americanbanker.com/payments/news/hsbc-softbanks-pepper-robot-picks-security-over-payments
HSBC Bank. "Humans and Machines - Building a Better Bank." Banking CIO Outlook. https://artificial-intelligence.bankingciooutlook.com/cxo-insights/humans-and-machines-building-a-better-bank-nwid-506.html
ATM Marketplace. "HSBC launches wider branch rollout of Pepper the robot." July 11, 2020. https://www.atmmarketplace.com/news/hsbc-launches-wider-branch-rollout-of-pepper-the-robot/
CNBC. "This bank is staffing branches with humanoid robots that dance, take selfies and push credit cards." June 26, 2018. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/26/this-bank-is-staffing-branches-with-humanoid-robots-that-dance-take-s.html
Digiday. "HSBC is using a blinking, humanoid robot to add the 'human touch' to banking." March 15, 2023. https://digiday.com/marketing/hsbc-using-blinking-humanoid-robot-add-human-touch-banking/
CNBC. "SoftBank's Pepper robot gets a job waiting tables at Pizza Hut." May 26, 2016. https://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/24/mastercard-teamed-up-with-pizza-hut-restaurants-asia-to-bring-robots-into-the-pizza-industry.html
Digital Trends. "Pepper's next gig is at Pizza Hut, but the robot won't be tossing any dough." March 20, 2018. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/pepper-working-at-pizza-hut/
Robohub. "Nestlé 1st big buyer of Softbank's Pepper robot." https://robohub.org/nestle-1st-big-buyer-of-softbanks-pepper-robot/
Digital Trends. "Pepper The Robot Fired From Grocery Store For Not Being Up To The Job." January 22, 2018. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/pepper-robot-grocery-store/
HotAir. "Pepper the robot discontinued after being repeatedly fired from jobs." July 18, 2021. https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2021/07/18/pepper-the-robot-discontinued-after-being-repeatedly-fired-from-jobs-n402949
IBTimes. "Fabio, The Pepper Robot, Fired For 'Incompetence' At Edinburgh Store." November 23, 2020. https://www.ibtimes.com/fabio-pepper-robot-fired-incompetence-edinburgh-store-2643653
DIGIT. "Edinburgh Deli Gives Robot the Sack!" November 22, 2022. https://www.digit.fyi/edinburgh-deli-give-robot-the-sack/
RetailDetail EU. "Scottish store 'fires' Pepper robot." January 23, 2018. https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/electronics/scottish-store-fires-pepper-robot/
Generation Robots. "Technical specifications - Pepper." March 31, 2022. https://www.generationrobots.com/pepper/technical-specifications.html
GWS Robotics. "About Pepper Robot." February 14, 2017. https://www.gwsrobotics.com/why-pepper-robot
Aparobot. "Pepper - Robot Details, Use Case and Specifications." https://www.aparobot.com/robots/pepper
ResearchGate. "A Mass-Produced Sociable Humanoid Robot: Pepper: The First Machine of Its Kind." July 11, 2018. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326334563_A_Mass-Produced_Sociable_Humanoid_Robot_Pepper_The_First_Machine_of_Its_Kind
Aldebaran Documentation. "Technical overview." http://doc.aldebaran.com/2-4/family/pepper_technical/index_pep.html
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