The team behind Pepper, the humanoid robot from SoftBank Robotics, are planning a platform for the machine where developers create applications for everyday use, such as guarding your home or vacuuming the floor.
Developers are already able to build Pepper apps using Android tools, however SoftBank Robotics is also considering opening up its Pepper platform — similar to a mobile "app store" — for developers to sell or market software to consumers, said Nicolas Boudot, EMEA sales director, in an interview at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday.
Boudot gave examples of home improvements or care for the elderly as potential software applications that could be created. However, he didn't give a time frame for when Pepper would become more widely available to developers. He said SoftBank Robotics is currently focusing on growing sales of the product, which costs $20,000 (about ¥2.3 million), to businesses.