Used NAO vs Used Pepper Robot UK: Education and Research Comparison 2026

> QuickAnswer: NAO is the better choice for STEM education, robotics curricula, and research requiring bipedal locomotion and physical movement. Pepper is the better choice for public-facing interaction, retail demos, and applications where a tablet interface, larger display, and social conversation matter more than mobility. Used NAO: £3,000-£6,000. Used Pepper: £8,000-£15,000.

Introduction

NAO and Pepper are the two robots that shaped a generation of robotics education in the UK. Walk into almost any UK university robotics lab or computer science department and you will find one or both. Schools that received government technology funding in the 2010s often have NAOs that are now aging but still functional. Retailers and banks that experimented with social robotics in the mid-2010s are releasing Pepper units onto the used market.

Both robots were developed by SoftBank Robotics (previously Aldebaran), share the NAOqi operating system and SDK, and support Choregraphe, Python, and ROS. But their designs serve very different purposes: NAO is a small humanoid built to move, walk, and express itself physically; Pepper is a larger social robot optimised for conversation, tablet interaction, and standing customer engagement.

This guide compares them on price, capability, software, UK university adoption, support status, and what to inspect when buying used. By the end, you will know which suits your institution, research project, or commercial application.

For broader used robot pricing, see the resale index and live listings on the browse page.

Specification Comparison

Support Status: What Has Changed

Understanding the support situation is important before buying either robot used.

NAO

NAO V5 and V6 were sold under SoftBank Robotics until 2021, when the NAO product line was acquired by United Robotics Group (URG), a German robotics company. URG has continued development of NAO under the name NAO V6 and has since released firmware updates and maintained community support. Spare parts including joint motors, cameras, and batteries are available through URG and third-party suppliers.

The transition from SoftBank to URG was relatively smooth for existing users. The NAOqi SDK continues to work, Choregraphe is still supported, and the Python and ROS interfaces remain functional on V6. For UK universities with existing NAO deployments, ongoing support is available.

Pepper

SoftBank Robotics has significantly scaled back Pepper's commercial availability. Mass-market new sales have effectively ended in most markets, though SoftBank continues to offer Pepper through enterprise contracts in specific geographies. SoftBank's announcement in 2021 that it was halting new Pepper production created uncertainty, but used units continue to operate normally on existing firmware.

For UK buyers of used Pepper units, the key consideration is that SoftBank's direct support infrastructure has reduced. The open-source community remains active and the NAOqi SDK continues to function, but expect less official support for issues compared to NAO under URG. The tablet on Pepper is an Android device and can be sourced and replaced independently of SoftBank if it fails.

Locomotion: Walking vs Wheels

This is the most fundamental difference between the two robots and the one that most directly determines which suits a given application.

NAO: Bipedal Walking

NAO walks on two legs using a gait generated by its onboard processors. The walking is stable for flat surfaces and gentle slopes and is genuinely impressive for a robot of its size. NAO can climb stairs with appropriate programming, though this requires custom gait development. Its 25 degrees of freedom include ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and head -- giving it a wide range of expressive physical gestures and dance movements.

For STEM education, NAO's bipedal locomotion is central to its appeal. Programming a robot to walk, kick a ball, or dance is inherently motivating for students and demonstrates principles of balance, kinematics, and real-time control that are difficult to teach with a wheeled robot.

Pepper: Omnidirectional Wheels

Pepper moves on three omnidirectional wheels, which allow smooth movement in any direction without turning first. This is appropriate for a social robot that needs to reposition gracefully in front of a person during conversation, but it means Pepper cannot navigate stairs or uneven surfaces. Pepper's 20 degrees of freedom are concentrated in its arms and head -- designed for expressive gestures during interaction rather than locomotion tasks.

For retail, hotel lobby, or public engagement applications, wheeled omnidirectional movement is more reliable and predictable than bipedal walking. For robotics research that involves locomotion, it is limiting.

Battery Life: A Significant Difference

NAO V6 runs for 60-90 minutes on a single charge under normal operation. This is the robot's most significant operational constraint for education and research use. In a typical university lab session of two hours, NAO needs at least one recharge break. In a school classroom, a single lesson is achievable but battery management must be planned.

Pepper achieves 12 hours of operation, which covers a full retail or commercial deployment day without interruption. For customer-facing applications where continuous availability matters, this is a major advantage.

The battery life difference reflects the different applications the robots are designed for. NAO is a research and education platform used in sessions; Pepper is a commercial deployment robot used all day.

Programming and Software

Both robots share the NAOqi SDK, which means the learning curve for developers familiar with one carries over to the other. However, their programming priorities differ.

Choregraphe

Choregraphe is a visual programming environment developed by SoftBank/Aldebaran that allows users to create behaviours by connecting behaviour blocks on a timeline. It is well-suited to secondary school and introductory university students. The drag-and-drop interface abstracts away low-level programming while still producing meaningful, observable robot behaviour.

Choregraphe works with both NAO and Pepper and is still available for download. However, its development has slowed since the SoftBank era and it requires older Python 2.x environments in some configurations, which creates friction on modern systems. For newer users, URG has improved the development tooling for NAO V6.

Python

Both robots expose Python APIs through the NAOqi SDK. On NAO V6, the Python interface is well-documented, actively maintained by URG, and integrated with ROS Noetic. On Pepper, the Python API includes NAO's motion libraries plus Pepper-specific modules for tablet management, social interaction, and the emotion display system.

For university research, Python is the practical working language for both robots. The community documentation is extensive, and many UK universities have published open-source projects using both platforms.

ROS

NAO V6 has strong ROS integration maintained by URG. ROS Noetic packages are available and actively maintained, making NAO a viable platform for academic robotics research that uses the ROS ecosystem. Pepper has ROS support but it is less actively maintained.

UK University and School Adoption

UK Universities

NAO is one of the most widely deployed research robots in UK higher education. Institutions including King's College London, the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College, and many others have NAO deployments used for HRI (human-robot interaction) research, machine learning applications, and undergraduate robotics teaching.

Pepper was adopted by a number of UK universities and business schools for social robotics and HRI research in the 2015-2020 period, with a smaller academic footprint than NAO.

UK Schools

The RoboCup Junior programme, which has a strong UK presence, uses NAO for its Standard Platform League, which has driven adoption across UK secondary schools and sixth forms. Schools that have participated in RoboCup Junior competitions often have NAO units available. The associated community and curriculum resources are well-developed.

Pepper has had limited deployment in UK schools, primarily through retailer partnerships and commercial demonstration rather than curriculum use.

Repair and Spare Parts

NAO

Under URG's stewardship, NAO spare parts have improved in availability. Joint actuators, cameras, sonar sensors, and batteries are available through URG's distribution network and a growing third-party market. In the UK, several specialist robotics service companies offer NAO repair services.

Common failure points on used NAO units: joint motor wear (particularly hips and ankles on heavily used units), speaker degradation, and battery capacity reduction. These are all repairable with available parts.

Pepper

Pepper spare parts are less readily available than NAO parts, though the situation has improved as more units have entered the used market. The tablet is the component most frequently replaced and is serviceable independently as it runs standard Android. Joint motors and the wheel system are available through specialist suppliers. SoftBank's direct repair service has reduced in availability, so UK buyers should identify a specialist service company before purchasing.

The chest display (LED matrix), arm joints, and wheel motors are the components most worth inspecting carefully on a used Pepper unit.

What to Check When Buying Used

Used NAO Inspection Checklist

• Boot the robot and check that all joints move through their full range of motion
• Test the walking gait on a flat surface -- instability suggests joint wear or calibration issues
• Verify both cameras produce clear images (check in Choregraphe or via the web interface)
• Test speech recognition and synthesis
• Charge to full and time the battery life under normal operation
• Check all LED arrays are functioning
• Verify the firmware version and confirm upgrade path

Used Pepper Inspection Checklist

• Test the tablet screen for touch response and display quality (this is the most common failure point)
• Verify all three wheel motors drive correctly and the robot moves smoothly in all directions
• Test all arm joints through their range -- check for joint binding or unusual sounds
• Verify the laser and sonar obstacle detection sensors
• Test speech recognition, synthesis, and the emotion display
• Check the battery level indicator and test operating duration
• Verify the firmware version

For both robots, confirm whether the unit's NAOqi licence is transferable and whether any third-party software packages installed by the previous owner require separate licensing.

Which Should You Buy?

Choose used NAO if:

• You are deploying in a school or university for STEM education or robotics research
• Walking, bipedal locomotion, and physical movement are central to your use case
• You want to participate in RoboCup Junior or similar competitions
• You need ROS integration for academic research
• Budget is more constrained and you want the lower entry price
• You want better long-term manufacturer support through URG

Choose used Pepper if:

• Your application is public-facing interaction: retail, hotel lobby, museum, or event
• A large tablet display for information, navigation, or customer service is important
• You need 12-hour operational duration without recharging
• Social conversation, emotion display, and standing height for adult interaction suit your application
• You are researching HRI with adult members of the public rather than classroom use

Finding Used Units in the UK

Used NAO and Pepper units appear through university and school disposals, robot dealers, and direct sales from businesses that have exited commercial deployments. The Robot AutoTrader browse page lists used education and social robots. The resale index has current pricing benchmarks.

The robot database has full specifications for both NAO V6 and Pepper. For general guidance on buying used robots for education and research, see the used cobot and robot buyers guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a used NAO robot cost in the UK? Used NAO robots (typically NAO V5 or V6) sell for £3,000 to £6,000 in the UK depending on condition, included accessories, and firmware version. Units with the original charging dock and a working teach pendant command the higher end of that range.

What does a used Pepper robot cost in the UK? Used Pepper robots sell for approximately £8,000 to £15,000 in the UK. Pepper's larger size and more complex sensor suite mean higher prices even secondhand. Units with working tablet and in good cosmetic condition are at the higher end.

Are NAO and Pepper still supported by SoftBank? SoftBank Robotics discontinued new sales of both NAO and Pepper. NAO was acquired by United Robotics Group in 2021, which continues development. Pepper remains available from SoftBank for enterprise contracts but mass-market new sales have ended. Both have active communities and available spare parts.

Which robot is better for school STEM education -- NAO or Pepper? NAO is the stronger choice for STEM education. Its walking, dancing, and physical movement capabilities make it more engaging for coding and robotics curricula. Choregraphe provides a visual programming environment suitable from secondary school level upward, and the robot's compact size makes it manageable in classroom settings.

Can NAO and Pepper be programmed with Python? Yes, both support Python through the NAOqi SDK. NAO V6 also has improved ROS support. Pepper additionally exposes its tablet and social interaction APIs through Python. For university-level research, both robots have active open-source communities and well-documented Python interfaces.

What should I check when buying a used NAO or Pepper? For NAO: test all joints for full range of motion, check that the robot can walk without instability, verify both cameras are functioning, and test the speech recognition. For Pepper: test the tablet screen (a common failure point), check all three wheel motors, verify the arm joints, and test the laser/sonar obstacle detection.

Is NAO suitable for RoboCup competitions? Yes. NAO is the official robot for the RoboCup Standard Platform League, which has an active UK participation base. Several UK secondary schools and universities compete with NAO, and the RoboCup community provides extensive open-source code and curriculum resources.

Can I buy spare parts for Pepper in the UK? Yes, though availability is more limited than for NAO. The tablet is replaceable as a standard Android device. Joint motors and wheel components are available through specialist robotics service companies in the UK. Identify a service provider before completing a Pepper purchase rather than after.