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WHAT ARE PEPPER ROBOTS?

Emotion-reading robots called 'Pepper' have been designed by Japanese company Softbank Robotics.

The expressive humanoid is designed to identify and react to human emotions.

Equipped with cameras and sensors the robots are 4ft (1.2 metres) tall and weigh 62lb (28kg).

They can react to human emotions by offering comfort or laughing if told a joke.

Developers say the robots can understand 80 per cent of conversations.

They also have the ability to learn from conversations in both Japanese and English. 

They have already been used in a number of places, including banks, shops and hotels. 

In 2016 SoftBank replaced staff at a new phone store in Tokyo with 10 humanoid Pepper robots to give suggestions and answer questions from customers.

And in December, Nescafe hired 1,000 Pepper robots to work in home appliance stores across Japan to help customers looking for a Nespresso coffee machine. 

Last month another robot developed by Softbank Robotics was deployed at a hotel on Lake Garda.

Named Robby Pepper, the robot has been taught a list of questions such as the locations of the spa and restaurants and their opening hours.

In September 2018, these robots are going to be used to helped look after elderly people in the UK. 

The firm says the humanoid companions have been programmed to recognise the needs of residents.

Tablets on the robots' chests mean residents can Skype call people, watch or listen to something, or be reminded when to take pills. 

These robots represent an expansion in automation, but one that is likely to be scaled up only when better artificial intelligence is developed.

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