Pepper
Pepper is Aldebaran/SoftBank's 120 cm wheeled social humanoid with 19 DOF, 28 kg, 12 h listed runtime, 20 DC motors, Intel Atom E3845, HD cameras, 3D sensor, sonars, touch sensors, and a chest tablet.
- Height
- 120cm3′11″Source
- Weight
- 28kg62 lbSource
- Payload
- Not disclosed
- Runtime
- 12h720 minSource
- Degrees of freedom
- 19DoFSource
- Top speed
- 0.8m/s3 km/hSource
2 real photosPepper photos
credited to the maker or photographer
Pepper videos
official and independent footageHow big is Pepper?
Pepper stands 120 cm (3 ft 11 in) and weighs 28 kg (62 lb), 55 cm shorter than a 175 cm adult.
Pepper specs
official and sourced figures| Height | 120 cm (3 ft 11 in)source |
| Weight | 28 kg (62 lb)source |
| Payload | Not disclosed |
| Runtime | 12 hsource |
| Degrees of freedom | 19 DoFsource |
| Hand DoF | 1 DoFsource |
| Top speed | 0.83 m/s (3 km/h)source |
| Hands | Simple hands with 1 DoF each; no fine manipulation or force feedback described in reviewed sources. |
| Sensors | Head with two HD 5-megapixel cameras (mouth and forehead), 3D sensor behind eyes, four microphones, three touch sensors on head, torso gyroscope, hands with two touch sensors, leg/mobile base with two sonars, six lasers, three bumper sensors, and gyroscope |
| Compute | Intel Atom E3845 computer; NAOqi operating system; supports Python, C++, Java, JavaScript, and ROS interface. |
Price and availability
from evidence packWhat the Pepper can do
evidence by capability dimensionPepper has 1 DoF per hand and no payload spec; no manipulation tasks or grasping evidence found. Wheels and social design prioritize interaction over manipulation.
Official documentation states Pepper ships with Autonomous Life on, reacting to sounds, movement, tactile contacts, looking for people, listening and answering. Sonars enable distance estimation for obstacle avoidance. No task-level autonomy or success rate found.
Pepper has a wheeled mobile base with 2 DoF, 19 total DOF, and top speed 3 km/h. Sonar specs support obstacle distance estimation.
Sensors include two 5 MP HD cameras, 3D sensor, 4 microphones, touch sensors, sonars, lasers, bumpers, gyroscope. Wevolver says Pepper recognizes faces and basic emotions; sonar specs provide obstacle detection range.
Designed for social interaction: speech, tablet, 15 languages claimed, emotion recognition claimed. RobotLAB describes use in customer service/education. Video demos exist but only titles available.
Originally specified for 12 hours of operation with 30 Ah battery. No field reliability metrics, failure rates, or independent verification found.
120 cm, 28 kg, wheeled base, curvy design; Wevolver describes Pepper as danger-free with high user acceptance. Studocu safety-standard claims are excluded as uncorroborated.
What is proven
source-backed highlights- Official specs from Wevolver: 120 cm, 28 kg, 19 DOF, 12 h runtime, 20 DC motors.
- RobotLAB reseller listing at $32,000 with purchase/demo path.
- The Robot Report report of 17,000 Pepper humanoids sold and production stopped.
- Official documentation on default Autonomous Life and sonar specs.
Caveats
read before you trust a demo- RobotLAB lists Pepper for sale at $32,000, but production reportedly stopped in 2020 or 2021. No original manufacturer store fo...
- No independent benchmarks, deployment metrics, or named customer cases.
- No transcript or visual review of six video demos.
- No payload or manipulation capability evidence.
About the Pepper
summary from sourced evidencePepper is Aldebaran/SoftBank's 120 cm wheeled social humanoid with 19 DOF, 28 kg, 12 h listed runtime, 20 DC motors, Intel Atom E3845, HD cameras, 3D sensor, sonars, touch sensors, and a chest tablet. RobotLAB lists it from $32,000, but production reportedly stopped in 2020 or 2021 and Maxvision acquired Aldebaran assets in 2025. Official docs describe default Autonomous Life reacting to sounds, movement and touch; media relay Aldebaran's claim of about 17,000 Pepper humanoids sold. Manipulation, payload, autonomy, and reliability lack independent evidence; video demos are titles only
Evidence log
tiered public claimsPepper alternatives
all alternatives →| Robot | Status | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchasable | $24,240 | ||
| Purchasable | $20,000 | ||
| Commercial deployment | $44,560 | ||
| Purchasable | From €22,500 | ||
| Commercial deployment | $50,000 | ||
| Commercial deployment | €29,999 |
Pepper FAQ
answers from sourced dataHow much does the Pepper cost?
From $32,000. That is the published starting price. Configurations, shipping and import duties change the final cost.
Can you buy the Pepper?
Yes. The Pepper is sold today through the official store and resellers.
How tall is the Pepper?
The Pepper is 120 cm (3 ft 11 in) tall according to Aldebaran's published specs.
How much does the Pepper weigh?
It weighs 28 kg (62 lb) according to official specs.
How long does the Pepper battery last?
Aldebaran lists a runtime of about 12 h per charge. This is a company figure, not an independent test.
Who makes the Pepper?
The Pepper is made by Aldebaran, based in France.
Sources
12 references- SoftBank Robotics - Pepper · Wevolver
- Softbank Pepper Robot — Price, Specs & Demo · RobotLAB
- Maxvision buys core robot assets of Aldebaran, including Nao and Pepper · The Robot Report
- Understanding Autonomous Life settings · SoftBank Robotics Documentation
- Sonars · SoftBank Robotics Documentation
- Aldebaran's Humanoid Robotics: Platform Leadership Analysis · Studocu
- We Interviewed Pepper — The Humanoid Robot · Insider Tech
- First date with humanoid robot Pepper · CNN
- Meet Pepper, the Friendly Humanoid Robot · IEEE Spectrum
- Pepper the humanoid robot knows how you feel · CNET
- Meet Pepper the Robot | Softbank Robotics · NAO by Maxtronics
- Meet Pepper – the social robot · Chalmers University of Technology