This Robot Reads the Bible to Seniors in Care Communities

A robot developed at Japan's Waseda University is being used to comfort senior living residents by listening to them and reading relevant scripture, reports Futurism . The foot-and-a-half-tall SanTO robot is outfitted with software it uses to listen to people, scan their faces for signs of specific emotions, and choose religious texts that may be relevant to their distress. SanTO was designed by Waseda's Gabriele Trovato, who recalled he was advised by religious leaders to only have the robot recite, and not interpret, scripture. "They said there is a human factor which is very important in the communication of faith," he remarked. "Even choosing the right text, the right part of the Bible, is not something you can do easily." Trovato suggested SanTO could prove useful as a companion for seniors.