Successor to NAO and Pepper: continued operation, migration, alternative

Where we come from

Many universities and schools have worked with NAO and Pepper in recent years – and now face the question of what comes next. We know that question well, because these robots are part of our own history:

• NAO showed how people engage with robots – and made empathy in interaction a development goal.
• Pepper was the emotional core: it taught us to build robots that connect rather than burden.
• MobileLab was our automation playground and the blueprint for today’s laboratory automation.
• RB-Watcher taught movement in unpredictable terrain – today that lives in our navigation.

Our answer to the successor question: uMe – a humanoid platform with spoken dialogue, a display, open interfaces and a manufacturer in Europe you can actually call. Not a fresh start, but the next generation of the same idea.

What makes the transition practical

• Open interfaces: REST, MQTT, WebSocket, ROS2-compatible – research needs access, not a closed app
• Raw sensor data and logging for studies on human–robot interaction
• AI on the device – without a permanent cloud, so university networks and ethics applications do not fail over it
• Configuration without programming through uGo+ for teaching and demonstration
• Three configuration levels: Uno, Duo with gripper, Trio with LiDAR navigation

Your robot. Your data.

A robot working in your organisation sees and hears things that are nobody’s business outside it. That is why the AI processing runs on the device and not in someone else’s cloud. A permanent internet connection is not required for operation — closed hospital, care and laboratory networks are possible. What is created with you stays with you: you decide on storage, analysis and deletion. Through uGo+ you define who may start which tasks, and mission reports are auditable — the basis for a data protection impact assessment, for the works council and for the authorities.

Buy or rent: Robot-as-a-Service

You can buy or rent as Robot-as-a-Service. With rental you pay a recurring monthly rate covering hardware, software maintenance and service together — from the operating budget instead of the capital budget. This is the usual route for a pilot and for a step-by-step rollout across several sites.

An honest note: rental is not automatically cheaper than purchase — it shifts risk and timing. What adds up for your organisation depends on term, quantity, funding options and budget structure. We work through that openly with you in the first conversation instead of selling you a model. We do not publish prices, because configuration and integration scope decide the outcome — a figure without that context would be misleading.

Why us

• More than 500 units in daily operation in hospitals and laboratories — not a pilot promise but shift work.
• More than 20,000 robots in use across all product lines — 15 years of experience with people who work alongside robots.
• uGo+ as one interface for tasks, permissions, analysis and fleet — across several sites too.
• Manufacturer, not reseller. Development, integration and service come from us.

Try it first

Before a robot moves in your facility, your workflow has already run at ours: at our training centres in Stuhr (laboratory and diagnostics) and Gelsenkirchen (hospital and care) we rehearse your workflow on a real set-up. Book a training-centre visit.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to our existing NAO or Pepper fleet?

You can keep operating it for as long as hardware and spare parts allow. For the transition we recommend building new teaching and research projects on a platform whose support is secured.

Is uMe a direct replacement for Pepper?

Not identical in construction, but functionally further along: humanoid form, spoken dialogue, display, open interfaces – plus the ability to walk, 23 degrees of freedom and AI processing on the device.

Can existing applications be carried over?

Not one to one. Concepts, dialogues and study designs transfer; code generally does not. With REST, MQTT, WebSocket and ROS2-compatible interfaces, reimplementation is usually faster than expected.

Is there support in Europe?

Yes. Development, integration and service come from us; we are based in Germany and directly reachable.

How quickly is uMe available?

Orderable now, with a delivery time of around eight weeks – for purchase or as rental in the Robot-as-a-Service model.

The next step

A first conversation takes twenty minutes. Afterwards you will know whether deployment adds up in your organisation — and if it does not, we will say so. Get in touch through the contact form or directly with your contact person.

Sources: OECD, Health at a Glance: Europe 2024 · Federal Statistical Office of Germany, care workforce projection, press release of 23 January 2024 · German Economic Institute, MINT Spring Report 2026.