1. Pepper
Photo source: SoftBank
A robot called Pepper that claims to read human emotions is set to go on sale in Japan within months.
Unveiled by Japanese firm SoftBank at a media event in Tokyo, the robot can joke, dance and amuse people as well as helping around in the home and with customer service.
The robot uses an emotional engine, which is powered by a cloud-based artificial intelligence system, to analyse expressions, voice tones and gestures.
Company president Masayoshi Son said: "People describe others as being robots because they have no emotions, no heart.
"For the first time in human history, we’re giving a robot a heart, emotions."
Although prototypes of Pepper will be deployed at two of the Softbank’s stores in Tokyo, it will fully go on sale from February 2015 for 198,000 yen (£1,152).
