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I expected him to be bigger

A robot equipped with a “heart” designed to not only recognise human emotions, but react with simulations of anger, joy and irritation, is going on sale in Japan.

Technology company Softbank’s Pepper robot, which has no legs and moves on wheels, was shown to reporters and guests in Tokyo.

It has a hairless head and moving arms and went through a year of software development after first being announced.

It glided proudly on to the stage, conversed with celebrity guests, did a dance, sang a birthday song and demonstrated how it could record family life in photos, and serve as a companion. It appeared to respond with joy when it was praised or stroked.

Softbank Corp CEO Masayoshi Son said the company was preparing for a global sales launch with partners Alibaba Group of China and Foxconn of Taiwan.

Details of when and where it will go on sale outside Japan were still undecided. But the first overseas sales are likely to happen next year, with test sales set for later this year.

It sells for 198,000 yen (£1,000) in Japan and 1,000 of the robots will be available each month.

A monthly service fee costs 14,800 yen (£75), and maintenance insurance another 9,800 yen (£50). Mr Son hopes to turn the business into the black within five years.

According to Mr Son, the robot will develop its own personality of sorts, depending on how people interact with it. Pepper can remember faces and is programmed to be happy when given attention but becomes depressed when it’s not.

It will also cheer up sad people and try to mitigate suffering, he added.

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