Robot preaches Buddha's teaching at this Japan temple

A robot in Japan's Buddhist temple is delivering Buddha's teaching. The robot named as Minder teaches Buddhist philosophy and chants the Heart Sutra in Japanese at Kodaiji temple. The robot is 195 centimetres tall and weighs 60 kilograms. Tens of millions of yen was spent to make the robot.

Kyoto, Japan: In a unique kind, a robot is drawing large number of devotees to a Buddhist temple here by delivering Buddha's teaching.

The robot named as Minder, who looks very futuristic, teaches Buddhist philosophy and chants the Heart Sutra in Japanese at Kodaiji temple.

Minder which was produced from a collaboration between Kodaiji Temple and Osaka University professor Hiroshi Ishiguro and his team uses hand gestures and eye contact while delivering teaching. Subtitles in English and Chinese are projected on the walls.

Tensho Goto, the chief steward of the temple, approached Ishiguro two and half years ago. The production of Minder started a year later.

"For the last dozen years, with the development of AI and robot technology, I've been thinking it'd be okay if we have Buddha transformed into robots," says 70-year-old Tensho Goto.

"Also, I thought robots could think and give sermons or do various things, and in the future be able to do more than what we, monks, can do," he added.

Minder was designed to be seen as either male or female.

For instance, silver tubes represent a woman's back, while its mechanical shoulders look masculine.

Made primarily from stainless steel, with a silicone face and hands the robot is 195 centimetres tall and weighs 60 kilograms.

Tens of millions of yen was spent to make the robot.