SoftBank Robotics Europe

SoftBank Robotics Europe, originally founded as Aldebaran Robotics in Paris in 2005 by Bruno Maisonnier, is a pivotal company in the humanoid robotics sector. Maisonnier, an engineer with a background in the banking and IT sectors, launched the company to realize his long-held fascination with robotics, aiming to create robots that could interact with and assist people. The firm's initial major achievement was the NAO robot, a 58cm tall humanoid platform whose development began in 2004 under "Project Nao". Unveiled in 2006, NAO was selected in 2007 to succeed Sony's AIBO in the RoboCup Standard Platform League, a major international robot soccer competition, which significantly raised its global profile.

The business operates by developing, manufacturing, and commercializing humanoid robots along with their corresponding software. Its primary clients are in the research, education, retail, healthcare, tourism, and hospitality sectors in over 70 countries. The company's revenue model has involved direct sales and leasing options, such as a subscription fee for maintenance and software updates. In 2012, Japan's SoftBank Group acquired a controlling stake in Aldebaran for $100 million, rebranding the unit as SoftBank Robotics in 2016. This acquisition provided the financial backing to scale operations and develop more ambitious projects. In 2022, the European division was acquired by Germany's United Robotics Group (URG), and it reverted to its original name, Aldebaran, before recent reports in mid-2025 indicated the company had entered receivership.

The company's product line features three main robots: NAO, Pepper, and Romeo. NAO is an autonomous, programmable humanoid robot primarily used in academia for research and education in robotics, AI, and human-robot interaction. Pepper, unveiled in 2014, is a larger, 120cm semi-humanoid robot designed for social interaction. It can recognize faces and basic human emotions and was developed to be an assistant in commercial settings like retail stores, banks, and airports. Equipped with a chest-mounted tablet, it interacts with people through conversation and its screen. The third major project, Romeo, is a 140cm tall research robot intended to explore and advance assistance for the elderly and those with reduced autonomy, capable of tasks like opening doors and grabbing objects.

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