Big-eyed, blandly plastic and standing four feet tall, Pepper is vaguely humanlike (arms but a tripod for legs) and designed to look friendly, innocuous and non-threatening. This little white plastic robot has started work in the United States for the first time, not surprisingly in a gadget shop in Palo Alto, California. It is already being trialled – mostly in retail – in Europe and Japan.

Pepper’s job is to help customers with their shopping decisions, supplying all relevant information, checking stock and taking orders while being able to read four basic human emotions: happiness, sadness, anger and joy. It may one day replace most human shop assistants in welcoming customers and catering to their every in-store need.

Because Pepper is a learning robot it will remember repeat visits, store preferences and build up the personality profile of a customer over time. And, unlike humans, it can play videos and games on the tablet interface on its torso to entertain you while you're waiting. ald.softbankrobotics.com/en/cool-robots/pepper