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from the what-happens-if-you-don't-welcome-your-new-robotic-overlords dept.
Atlas Obscura has an article on a robot programmed to perform Buddhist funeral rites.
What's the hottest new trend in robotics? It might be religion. Hot on the heels of Germany's Protestant-inspired automated blessing machine, BlessU-2, a Japanese company has unveiled a smiling automaton programmed to conduct Buddhist funerals.
Unveiled during the annual Life Ending Industry Expo in Tokyo, a funeral industry trade show, the little robot was presented by Nissei Eco Co. as an inexpensive alternative to hiring a flesh-and-blood monk. According to Reuters, the robot, a reprogrammed version of SoftBank Robotics' "Pepper" model of interactive humanoid automaton, can chant Buddhist sutras and beat a little drum to honor the dead. It can even livestream the service if needed.
Also at Reuters and The Guardian.
Youtube has a clip with the robot in action, which may give you nightmares. The robot in question is a reprogrammed SoftBank Robotics Pepper model. In related news it turns out Japan has a Life Ending Industry EXPO.
Once again Philip K Dick is proven right.
[Additional video clip by the New York Post. - Ed]
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Thursday August 24 2017, @11:12PM (4 children)
Life Ending Industry? Sounds like an organization of professional killers.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 24 2017, @11:16PM
Only place where both the Prostitutes and Monks are just as likely to be out to murder you as provide for your needs (whether physical or spiritual.)
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday August 24 2017, @11:18PM
The Assassin's guild would like to officially distance itself from any effort to advertise services, in violation of the code of discretion.
Those responsible will be promptly invited to test some of the aforementioned products.
(Score: 2) by Osamabobama on Friday August 25 2017, @04:53PM (1 child)
I've read about a tradition in the high Himalayas wherein the dead are scattered for the vultures. I understand that Buddhism is prevalent there, as well. I don't know that the two are related, but if so, and this funeral tradition is the one described in the article (which I haven't read, of course), then it's a short leap to robots that cut people into little pieces.
This sort of thing has been covered in popular culture before. This would just add a script with some wise words, and maybe a scattering ritual.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @06:32PM
well no, there are a few places in the world where corpses are carried up and left for birds, but it is important that the body be eaten and thus useful to life (the bird).
so the cutter robots will need to also burn the bodies for fuel - to eat with fiery maw, if you will.