The First Emotional Robot

[MachineGhost]

Pepper uses a sophisticated cloud-based artificial intelligence program that mimics the hormones released in response to external stimuli and thus, emotions.

[quote=http://www.cio.com.au/article/577940/1- ... aunch-day/
]In another sign that Japan loves cute robots, SoftBank's Pepper is proving to be a hit with its consumer launch.

The mobile carrier said 1000 units of the household robot sold out in one minute on Saturday, its first day of consumer sales.

The humanoid machine is designed to be a personal robot and a member of the family. It can't do housework, but it can converse, recognize people's emotions, develop its own "feelings" and retrieve information from the Internet such as messages and weather forecasts.

SoftBank describes Pepper as the world's first personal robot that has its own emotions.
[/quote]

And here's a wonderful (creepy?) video of pepper in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxPWyuiBQ-c

Pepper reminds me a little bit of Twiki from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

[FarmerD]

Eh, I'll wait for the Jessica Alba model to come out.

[craigr]

I saw pepper in Japan last year. It was neat, but also a bit creepy. I was picturing how cute it would be as it rampaged around the house two fisting Glock 17 pistols in a rage. Or, perhaps after someone hacked it to do something very bad over the Internet.

[Ad Orientem]

I've seen this movie, and I know how it ends...