Egypt posts record EGP629b primary surplus in 2024/25    EGP swings vs. USD in early Sunday trade    EGX launches 1st phone app    Egypt achieves record primary budget surplus of EGP 629bn despite sharp fall in Suez Canal revenues    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Resumption of production at El Nasr marks strategic step towards localising automotive industry: El-Shimy    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    United Bank achieves EGP 1.51bn net profit in H1 2025, up 26.9% year-on-year    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



SoftBank's Emotion-Reading Robot Is Billionaire Chairman's Dream Come True
Published in Amwal Al Ghad on 10 - 06 - 2014

SoftBank Corp. (9984)'s emotion-reading robot Pepper is a result of time billionaire Chairman Masayoshi Son spent as a child watching the TV show "Astro Boy."
Unlike the character from the 1960s Japanese animated series who couldn't experience feelings, the 1.2-meter (4-foot) tall humanoid robot estimates human emotions based on expressions, the company said yesterday. The machine, manufactured by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., will be on display at some of SoftBank's Tokyo-area shops today and available to consumers in Japan starting in February next year.
Son, Japan's second-richest man with with a net worth of $15.6 billion, said the machine is unlikely to generate profit any time soon and it hasn't been decided how many will be produced. Pepper, which comes equipped with a laser sensor, 12-hours of battery life and will cost 198,000 yen ($1,930), can also make jokes and dance, the company said yesterday.
"‘Astro Boy' was not able to experience feelings such as pain, sadness and happiness," Son said during a briefing in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo yesterday. "Although I was a small child, I thought it was a pity. I thought it would be nice if robots and computers could figure out such feelings."
Paris-based Aldebaran Robotics SA, the SoftBank unit developing Pepper, predicted the robot would resonate with consumers.
Sell Millions
"How many Peppers will we sell? Millions," Aldebaran Chief Executive Officer Bruno Maisonnier said in an interview in Tokyo today. "This will allow us to reduce production costs and then to turn profitable. We're losing money at the beginning but we're betting that a huge number of people will buy the robots."
Maisonnier declined to give a timeframe for the sales projection.
The device will aim to generate profit through sales of robot-related software and content, according to SoftBank.
SoftBank fell 1.6 percent to 7,695 yen at the close of trade in Tokyo, extending a 16 percent drop this year. The benchmark Topix index added 0.2 percent today.
"They are conducting an experiment. Japan is a good market to do that," Neil Juggins, a Hong Kong-based analyst at JI Asia Research Ltd. said by phone yesterday. "SoftBank has a lot of interests in a lot of areas. The big thing a couple of years ago was renewable energy, now it's robots."
The robots will also be sold at retail stores for Sprint Corp. in the U.S. SoftBank, which bought 80 percent of the third-largest U.S. carrier last year for $22 billion, is seeking to acquire T-Mobile US Inc. to give it the scale to compete with AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.
"Humanoid robots can easily get empathy from people," Son said during the briefing yesterday. "Many people have a dream or a sense of affinity with robots in Japan. I also used to do when I was a child."
Source:Bloomberg


Clic here to read the story from its source.