Pepper, I think we need to talk about your attitude problem.
The design process is often an exercise in trade-offs. Say, for example, you’re designing a robot. Simply slapping a camera lens on the unit would be the most cost-effective way for it to visually scan its surroundings, but that can make for a cold, intimidating appearance.
So the creators of Pepper, telecommunications company SoftBank’s domestic robot, went to the extra expense of giving her expressive eyes and facial features, in order to better form an emotional connection with users. They also gave her hands with five digits instead of a more mechanical-looking claw, which once again helps Pepper achieve a more relatable, human-like aura.
Unfortunately, being able to grip things with five fingers also means Pepper can pull off less-than-polite gestures using just one of them.
▼ All of a sudden, that subtle smile doesn’t look so sweet.
Japanese Twitter user @mentaro was out and about recently at his local Aeon shopping mall, where a Pepper unit had been deployed to greet customers. Unfortunately, it looks like the service technicians had fallen behind on Pepper’s scheduled maintenance, because her middle finger was stuck in its outstretched position, leaving Pepper nonchalantly flipping off everyone who looked at her.
This isn’t the first time Pepper has been spotted engaging in acts of quiet rebellion, either.
You know Pepper, we realize we recently called you out for verbally threatening humanity, but we’re not sure this nonverbal variant is really an improvement.
Follow Casey on Twitter, where there’s no way to tell whether or not he’s presently flipping the bird.
Source: Hamster Sokuho, Twitter/@mentaro