SoftBank's Robotics arm has formed a strategic collaboration with Microsoft in the field of cloud robotics. Both firm will work together to create a next-generation cloud-enabled robot using “Pepper” - SoftBank Robotics' humanoid robot - and Microsoft's cloud-based Azure IoT Suite.
They will then work together to build a next-generation in-store solution for the retail industry, using Microsoft's Surface Hub large-screen collaboration device and Surface 2-in-1 devices together with these new cloud-enabled robots to serve customers in person. The solution is scheduled to be sold in Japan starting in the fall of 2016, with the help of Microsoft Japan.
Pepper, Surface Hub, Surface and other in-store devices will connect to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, enabling large volumes of store-based data, customer behavior and point-of-sale purchases to be integrated with similar online data from smartphones, e-commerce sites and other sources for analysis using the Azure IoT Suite.
The deployment of Cortana, Microsoft's personal assistant, and Microsoft Translator-based services, including multilingual support, will also enhance the customer service experience provided by Pepper.
