Robot priest: the future of funerals?

A 'robot priest' has been unveiled in Japan. The humanoid robot, called Pepper, is designed to help with tasks at Buddhist temples, such as reading Buddhist scripture during funeral ceremonies. Dressed in a Buddhist robe, the robot chanted sutras at Japan's largest funeral and cemetery exhibition. Its c...

Developers in Japan are offering a robot "priest" to conduct Buddhist funeral rites complete with chanted sutras and drum tapping - all at a fraction of the cost of a human.

It is the latest use of Softbank's humanoid robot Pepper.