Softbank fires sadbot 'Pepper'

[Taro Toporific]

Just a few months after Softbank dumped its ownership useless robot dog "Spot" and dancing robots of Boston Dynamics on the Korean car-maker Hyundai, now Softbank has axed its sadbot 'Pepper'.

Softbank Group stops production of Pepper
KYODO | 6/28 23:55 (JST) {in Japanese}
On the 28th, it was learned that the Softbank Group has stopped production of Pepper, a humanoid robot that can read human emotions and talk to people.

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KYODO | 6/28 23:55 (JST) {in Japanese}
ソフトバンクグループが、人の感情を読み取って会話する人型ロボット「Pepper（ペッパー）」の生産を停止していることが28日、分かった。

[Marked Trail]

]Softbank Group stops production of Pepper
KYODO | 6/28 23:55 (JST) {in Japanese}

Here's the story in English and alludes to the French Connection Softbank as the actual designer/maker of Pepper?!¿

SoftBank shrinks robotics business, stops Pepper production
TOKYO, June 28 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is slashing jobs at its global robotics business and has stopped producing its Pepper robot, according to sources and documents reviewed by Reuters, as the conglomerate downgrades its industry ambitions.
Production of the humanoid Pepper, touted as the first robot with "a heart", was stopped last year, according to three sources familiar with the matter and the documents. It would be costly to restart production, two of the sources said.
Built by Foxconn (2317.TW) in China, Pepper was meant to help plug labour shortages but struggled to find a global customer base. Only 27,000 were produced, one of the sources said.
The pullback reflects the fading of Chief Executive Masayoshi Son's plan to make SoftBank the leader in the robotics industry, producing human-like machines that could serve customers and babysit kids...
...SoftBank Robotics launched the chest-high Pepper in 2014 and it became the face of the conglomerate, embodying Son's optimistic vision of a technology-powered future as he built his overseas investing operations.
Behind the scenes, culture clashes between the French business and Tokyo management hurt the robot's development and its sales were impacted by its limited functionality and unreliability, the three sources said.
SoftBank, which propped up Pepper sales by placing the robot in its mobile phone stores, has shifted focus to products such as cleaning robot Whiz. The French business was increasingly sidelined...
More...

[Grumpy Gramps]

Generalising like hell: I think, the problem that Japan has with robots lies in its education system. To get something like this going well, you need a lot of creativity, "freedom to play with the technology" and "boldly go where no man has gone before" (and I don't mean the ladies room, you creeps). All of these are things that you don't learn at school here or which may even be discouraged.

A puppet in a kimono that bows and says Irassahimase copying the facial expression of a greeter lady down to the last wrinkle is not a robot, at least not enough of one.

OTOH there is light at the end of the tunnel. I've read somewhere™ that in Mie prefecture the high school students are no longer bound to a specific color of underwear or hair style, so big huge freedom is on the horizon. Just takes a little time until they are free enough to build real robots.

[Taro Toporific]

Generalising like hell: I think, the problem that Japan has with robots lies in its education system. ... I've read somewhere™ that in Mie prefecture the high school students are no longer bound to a specific color of underwear or hair style, so big huge freedom is on the horizon. Just takes a little time until they are free enough to build real robots.

West Japan pref. abolishes excessive high school rules on dating, hair, underwear color
Mainichi Japan ~ June 16, 2021
TSU -- Rules at all public high schools in west Japan's Mie Prefecture pertaining to subjects including hairstyles, dating, and underwear color were all abolished during the current academic year, the Mainichi Shimbun learned from the Mie Prefectural Board of Education on June 15.
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[Grumpy Gramps]

That's the one, thank you

[matsuki]

but....how will the school officials get off without the underwear color checks?

[Grumpy Gramps]

....how will the school officials get off...

Schoolgirl look-alike jerkbots?

[Taro Toporific]

Just a few months after Softbank dumped its ownership useless robot dog "Spot" and dancing robots of Boston Dynamics on the Korean car-maker Hyundai...

Well Hyundai is off to silly start with their new new dog "Spot", hee, hee.

I suppose the best way for new Hyundai members assigned to the Spot team to learn the software is program dance routines. Now Boston Dynamics' robot dog "Spot" and other robots are learning dance routines thanks to their new Hyundai overlords & music of the Korean pukeboyz "BTS"...

K-pop domination!

The restofthe story about the Spot + BTS dance video.
http://blog.bostondynamics.com/all-together-now

[matsuki]

This popped up in my news feed this morning. There are several decent use cases for the BD robots and these videos have always been neat to bring attention to the company/products, BUT I worry if Hyundai will get any legit use out of owning BD other than marketing.

[Taro Toporific]

BUT I worry if Hyundai will get any legit use out of owning BD other than marketing.

Send Spot to Mars,

where it belongs!

[matsuki]

That's pretty rad...and cue Koreans bragging about being the first walking robot on mars or something. Not like they have anything to do with Hyundai....or Hyundai had anything to do with Spot.

[Taro Toporific]

BLAME THE FRENCH!

Japan's SoftBank says Pepper robot remains 'alive' and well
Mainichi Japan | June 30, 2021
TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese technology company SoftBank denies it's pulling the plug on its friendly, talking, bubble-headed Pepper robot.
"There is absolutely no change to our Pepper business," SoftBank Robotics Corp. spokesperson Ai Kitamura said Wednesday.
Pepper, introduced seven years ago, is centered around a rentals business, and production is regularly adjusted, the Tokyo-based company said.
While production was halted temporarily, Kitamura denied reports that set off speculation Pepper might be "killed."
The company acknowledged the contracts of 330 workers at the Paris division of SoftBank Robotics were being reviewed, but the move was routine and did not spell a death knell for Pepper.
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