Pepper gains a free update to spot people without face masks

SoftBank Robotics Europe released a free software update letting Pepper check whether people were wearing face masks, as countries such as France made coverings compulsory indoors. The robot could scan up to five faces at once, show a green or red circle on its tablet and thank people or remind them to cover up. SoftBank said no personal data was used or stored, and the system produced daily compliance figures for businesses. It was a clear example of how the pandemic pushed social robots into new public-facing roles.

Source: Engadget