SoftBank RoboticsHumanoid
Pepper
The world's most recognized service humanoid for reception, retail, and senior engagement
From $28,500 · RaaS $1,495/mo
Made by SoftBank Robotics
SoftBank Robotics the Whiz autonomous vacuum and Pepper humanoid service robot
SoftBank Robotics built the world's most recognized humanoid robot in Pepper, then proved at industrial scale with the Whiz commercial vacuum — now deployed in thousands of facilities across hotels, offices, retail, and education.
2012
Founded · Tokyo, Japan and Paris, France
5
Models we carry
4
Humanoid · Cleaning · Education · Service
About the brand
Who is SoftBank Robotics?
SoftBank Robotics was formed in 2012 when SoftBank Group acquired Aldebaran Robotics, the French maker of the NAO and Pepper humanoid robots. The company has since expanded into commercial cleaning with the Whiz autonomous vacuum, which is one of the highest-volume service robots ever shipped. Pepper became a global cultural icon; NAO remains the most-used educational humanoid in research and STEM. RobotLAB has been deploying SoftBank robots since the Pepper launch.
SoftBank Robotics
What we deploy from SoftBank
SoftBank RoboticsEducation
NAO V6
Programmable bipedal humanoid for STEM, research, and special education
From $11,990 · RaaS n/a
SoftBank RoboticsCleaning
Whiz
Commercial autonomous vacuum with route programming and cleaning analytics
From $9,995 · RaaS $499/mo
SoftBank RoboticsEducation
Pepper Academic Edition
Pepper configured for university classrooms with full developer SDK
From $24,500 · RaaS n/a
SoftBank RoboticsEducation
NAO AI Edition
NAO with on-board AI compute for advanced research and AI education
From $13,995 · RaaS n/a
Why us
Why we partner with SoftBank
01
The original humanoid service brand
Pepper was the first humanoid robot people knew by name. That recognition still matters in retail, senior living, and corporate reception, where guests light up when they see a Pepper.
02
Whiz is industrial-grade cleaning at scale
Thousands of Whiz units have logged millions of hours in offices, hotels, and airports. Route programming and cleaning analytics put it in a different league from consumer vacuums.
03
NAO is the research humanoid standard
Hundreds of universities run NAO labs. The open SDK and 25-year program history mean teaching materials, research papers, and student talent already exist.
Trusted by
Operators that run SoftBank with RobotLAB
Stillwater Center (senior living)
Rabobank
MIT Media Lab
Carnegie Mellon
Hilton
Many K-12 districts (NAO)
“Whiz vacuums with industrial consistency. Pepper engages with surprising warmth.”
E
Elad Inbar
CEO and Founder, RobotLAB
Where it works
SoftBank Robotics in the wild
Questions & answers
Long-form Q&A: deploying SoftBank robots in production
Real deployment questions from senior living operators, K-12 districts, and facilities teams.
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What is Pepper actually doing in a senior living community?
Group activity leader, memory care companion, dementia therapy aid, and brand differentiator for tours. Stillwater Center uses Pepper for daily activity programs that staff would otherwise have to lead manually.
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Can Pepper really recognize emotions?
Yes, broadly. Pepper reads facial expressions and voice tone to classify into a small emotion set (happy, sad, angry, surprised, neutral) and adapts its dialog. It is not a clinical diagnostic tool.
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How much square footage can a single Whiz cover?
About 12,000-15,000 sqft per 3-hour charge cycle. Most office buildings run two Whiz units in parallel for full overnight coverage.
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Does Whiz replace a janitor?
No. It replaces the vacuuming portion of janitorial work, which is about 25-30% of the labor. Janitors then focus on restrooms, trash, and detail work that robots cannot do well.
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How does NAO compare to UBTech Alpha for K-12 STEM?
Both are excellent. NAO has the larger research ecosystem and more curriculum content; Alpha is a better dollar for entry programs. Many districts run both.
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What programming languages does NAO support?
Python, C++, Choregraphe (visual), and Java. The Engage K12 platform RobotLAB ships includes age-appropriate block-based programming for grades 3-12.
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Is Pepper hard to maintain?
Pepper has more moving parts than a delivery robot, so PM cadence is higher. RobotLAB includes quarterly preventive maintenance in the service plan. Most issues are joint motor wear, handled in 30 minutes.
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Can Whiz integrate with our CMMS for cleaning logs?
Yes. Whiz exports cleaning session data (coverage maps, time, area, exceptions) via API to most CMMS platforms. RobotLAB sets up the integration during deployment.
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How long does Whiz deployment take?
1 day per route. The site is walked, the route is taught once, and the robot then runs autonomously. Office floors are typically live the same day.
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What is the lifespan of a Pepper unit?
7-10 years with regular PM. Most early Peppers from 2014-2016 are still in service with refreshed batteries and joint motors.