Remember Pepper, the overhyped “emotional robot” that flopped hard a few years ago? Well, one of its makers, SoftBank, is getting back into the bot business with a $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB’s robotics division.
The deal, which still needs the green light from regulators, bolsters the Japanese group’s hand in robotics, which includes stakes in companies like Skild, AutoStore Holdings, and Agile Robots.
While SoftBank is no stranger to robotics, the field has become a new priority for the company. “SoftBank’s next frontier is Physical AI,” founder Masayoshi Son said, promising a “groundbreaking evolution that will propel humanity forward.”
Robots are one of four strategic areas SoftBank is investing heavily in to realize Son’s vision of dominating the AI industry and developing super intelligent AI. It is also pouring money into chips, data centers, and energy, as well as companies at the “forefront of generative AI.”
