What would you do if you were walking down the street and suddenly saw a robot dressed as a samurai walk straight toward you? You'd probably run.
Researchers in Japan, however, are looking to combine their cultural heritage with a robot seeking peace, and have developed a samurai robot that does away with the sword in favor of an AI system called "A.I. Galleria."
The system gives the robot facial recognition software, enabling it to recognize and communicate with the humans that it interacts with. The researchers have designed it to be a guide and to provide information at things like conferences and other events all over the world.
The creators of the robot are planning to bring it to conferences outside Japan in 2016. It's expected to participate in the SXSW Interactive 2016 event in the U.S. before it starts traveling the world.
"During the tour, our buddy, named the AI-Samurai, will relentlessly take up challenges in the real world through conversations with people from around the globe," said the creators of the robot on their website. "The Samurai without a sword will henceforth interact with humans and keep seeking the ultimate answer for harmonious coexistence."
People are also able to get to know the robot by playing a quiz game called Warlords Diagnosis, which essentially consists of users asking questions about the robot and then matching the answers to a popular Japanese warlord from between 1467 and 1568.
So, next time you happen to see a samurai robot in the streets, maybe you should take a moment to ask it questions about its heritage instead of running in fear.
Via: Motherboard
