Osaka University have developed a robot ‘deity’ that preaches Buddha’s scripture in Japanese temple
Inside Kodaiji Temple KYOTO Japan –
Inside the temple stands Mindar, a robot 6-foot-4-inch, 132-pound ‘priest’. This robot is able to delivers a poignant sermon, hand gesture and has piercing gaze.
Mindar delivers a poignant sermon on one of the most-read Buddhist scriptures, the Heart Sutra.
The sermon is indistinguishable from the one given by the usual priest — until visitors notice Mindar’s smooth silicone skin, aluminum bones and camera-embedded eyes.
Mindar was developed in collaboration between Kodaiji Temple and a team led by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro from the Department of Systems Innovation at Osaka University. Their goal was to enhance spiritual experiences.
The camera lens in Mindar’s left eye enables eye contact with worshippers. Its hands and torso move to imitate human-like interaction. The humanoid’s “gender and age-neutral look” also encourages worshippers to conceive their own image of Buddha.
Credit : https://eng.irl.sys.es.osaka-u.ac.jp/