Nissei Eco robot accused of undercutting Buddhist priests
The configuration of Softbank's Pepper robot as a Japanese Buddhist priest able to deliver funerals sparked consternation that it would replace human priests. Dressed in traditional Buddhist robes, Pepper chants Buddhist funeral sutras while tapping a drum and other funeral rites. The robot was d eveloped by plastic moulding maker Nissei Eco Co. and introduced as a way to help resolve staffing and revenue problems at Japanese temples, which had been suffering from falling attendences due increased secularisation and an ageing population. 'Pepper' was said to cost less at JPY 50,000 (about USD 450) per funeral compared to more than JPY 240,000 (USD 2,200) for a human priest. Humanoid robot A humanoid robot is a robot resembling the human body in shape. The design may be for functional purposes, such as interacting with human tools and environments, for experimental purposes, such as the study of bipedal locomotion , or for other purposes. Source: Wikipedia 🔗 System 🤖 Pepper 🔗 Documents 📃 Pepper robot priest video Operator: Developer: Softbank Robotics; Nissei Eco Co Country: Japan Sector: Religion Purpose: Conduct funeral rites Technology: Robotics; Machine learning Issue: Employment
- Date it happened
- 2017-08-01
- Product, system or model
- Pepper
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