Aldebaran (formerly Aldebaran Robotics, later SoftBank Robotics Europe)
Logo: Lusheeta, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsFrench maker of the NAO and Pepper robots and the Romeo research humanoid, owned by SoftBank from 2013 and by United Robotics Group from 2022. It entered receivership in June 2025 and its assets were bought in July 2025 by China's Maxvision Technologies, whose French unit Maxtronics continues NAO6.
- Robot models in the atlas
- 33 humanoids
- First robot
- 2007Latest 2014
- Headquarters
- ParisFrance
- Can I buy one?1 on sale nowBuy from the maker's own page
- Who uses it?3 robot models in useWent on sale in Japan in 2015 and was used in shops, banks and schools worldwide;
- What is new?2025-07-10Maxvision Secures Core Robot Assets of Aldebaran
Robots
3 robot models shown in public, from 2007 to 2014. Newest first. Open one for its full profile.
What is inside
Chips and parts suppliers named for Aldebaran (formerly Aldebaran Robotics, later SoftBank Robotics Europe)'s robots by the maker or reputable press.
Chips and boards
Who uses it
Customers and deployments reported for Aldebaran (formerly Aldebaran Robotics, later SoftBank Robotics Europe)'s robots. Each robot's page links its sources.
NAO2007 · CommercialRoboCup Edition shipped March 2008; over 13,000 units were in use in more than 70 countries by 2024, including therapy sessions for autistic children from 2012.
Pepper2014 · DiscontinuedWent on sale in Japan in 2015 and was used in shops, banks and schools worldwide; SoftBank later paused production (date not confirmed in sources gathered here).
Romeo2012 · RetiredBought by at least four European research laboratories by 2014.
What is new
The latest stories about Aldebaran (formerly Aldebaran Robotics, later SoftBank Robotics Europe)'s robots, newest first.
- Maxvision Secures Core Robot Assets of Aldebaran Maxvision Technology · NAO
- Exclusive: SoftBank shrinks robotics business, stops Pepper production - sources Reuters (via Investing.com) · Pepper
The company
What it says about itself and what the sources record.
- Founded
- 2005
- Headquarters
- Paris, France
- Focus
- Small programmable humanoids for education and research (NAO) and social service robots (Pepper)
- Funding
- US$13 million venture round led by Intel Capital (June 2011); acquired by SoftBank for about US$100 million (2013); sold to United Robotics Group (July 2022); assets bought by Maxvision (July 2025)
- Partners
- SoftBank Mobile (Pepper sales); Foxconn (Pepper manufacturing); RoboCup Standard Platform League (NAO); INRIA, ISIR and LAAS-CNRS (Project Romeo)
Similar makers
Other makers of humanoids, starting with those in France.
Sources
4 sources behind this page.
- SoftBank Robotics Group Establishing an international robotics key player: German United Robotics Group acquires SoftBank Robotics Europe in Paris
- GIGAZINE SOFTBANK announces emotional robot 'Pepper'
- Aldebaran Robotics researchers / arXiv The NAO humanoid: a combination of performance and affordability
- Generation Robots Romeo, NAO's big brother robot
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