Japanese company Nisseieco Co. Ltd. unveiled a "robot priest" they have programmed to help with tasks at Buddhist temples, including the reading of Buddhist scripture during funeral ceremonies.

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.

KYOTO--Inspired by a priest’s belief that Buddhist practices should evolve, the bodhisattva of compassion and mercy has manifested himself as a robot at a temple here. The android edition of ...

Sabu designed and developed the robot to perform puja to an Ayyappa idol in his research lab in the same way a priest performs in a temple. Even 35 years of its successful induction, the robot ...