Its 2015 acquisition of Aldebaran didn’t go as easily as SoftBank hoped. On the time, the French robotics startup was greatest recognized for its Nao, which had develop into a reasonably ubiquitous presence in analysis amenities throughout the globe. The small humanoid robotic shaped the muse for the rebranded SoftBank Robotics’ best-known creation, Pepper. Nao principally took a backseat as the corporate pushed to commercialize its new robotic.
At greatest, Pepper was a model ambassador, good for holding up signage at airports and eating places. Final June, experiences surfaced that SoftBank was halting manufacturing on Pepper, and in October, it obtained out that the corporate hoped to dump SoftBank Robotics Europe altogether. Earlier this 12 months, German agency United Robotics Group agreed to amass the division, and at the moment it introduced that it’s bringing again the space-inspired identify.
The newly reconfigured Aldebaran is considered one of eight robotics manufacturers underneath the URG umbrella. Its new guardian has promised to “enhance our choices for present merchandise resembling Pepper and Nao.” It provides that SoftBank maintains a vested curiosity within the firm, noting:
SoftBank Robotics Group continues to assist our robotic progress as a shareholder of United Robotics Group and can keep as our Grasp Distributor in Japan and Asia.
Aldebaran will preserve in headquarters in Paris.
