The first of a small army of mini robots has started work at a bank in Taiwan. <br /><br /> The robots – called Pepper – are not intended to replace human staff but to work alongside them.<br /><br /> They will interact with and entertain customers as they queue up but also have a sales role providing information about financial products.<br /><br /> 100回で覚えて、1度覚えるとミスしない。これほんとすごいな<br />‘Pepper’ robot uses trial-and-error learning to master a child’s game https://t.co/3H8iS56Wav thenextwebさんから— 松尾真司 (sbbit_matsuo) September 26, 2016<br /><br /> First Commercial Bank plans to roll out 20 Peppers in Taiwan. Cathay Life Insurance will use 10 of the robots.<br /><br /> Pepper Robot Goes on Sale in Taiwan: https://t.co/sh7rXBJEtRhttps://t.co/1teetSJscX#robotics— Roberto Ranz (@Roberto_Ranz) July 27, 2016<br /><br /> A total of 100 rented Pepper units are due to “work” at other banks as well as in French retailer Carrefour’s shops in Taiwan.<br /><br /> Bank customer Chang Cheng-Kang said he found the concept interesting: “I think this is pretty good for customers just for them to kill time or to have more fun interacting with Pepper.”<br /><br /> Taiwan is one of the first countries outside Japan to deploy the robots which are being used as a waiters, sales assistants and customer service representatives in about 500 Japanese companies. <br /><br /> They are made by SoftBank which is promoting them as central to its vision of the internet of things, a network of devices, vehicles and building sensors that collect and exchange data.<br />
