Mindar

Key takeaways

Mindar belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mindar to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mindar from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mindar (Japanese: マインダー), also known as Android Kannon Mindar, is an android preacher at the Kōdai-ji temple in Kyoto, Japan. The humanoid robot regularly gives sermons on the Heart Sutra at the 400-year-old Zen Buddhist temple. It was created to represent and embody Kannon, a bodhisattva associated with compassion. Mindar was designed through a collaboration between staff of Kōdai-ji and roboticists from Osaka University, including Hiroshi Ishiguro. Construction of the 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) tall android began in 2017 at Osaka University's robotics laboratory. Development of the android cost ¥25 million (US$227,250), while the total cost of the project was ¥100 million (US$909,090). Mindar was unveiled to the public at a ceremony in March 2019. Its 25-minute pre-programmed sermon was written by monks and addresses the Buddhist concepts of emptiness and compassion.

Background and development Kōdai-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple established in 1606 in the Higashiyama ward of Kyoto. It is part of the Rinzai school.

Roboticist Ishiguro Hiroshi of Osaka University visited Kōdai-ji in July 2017. Gotō Tenshō, then the temple's chief steward, suggested to Ishiguro the creation of a robotic Buddha statue. They met again two months later and initially considered having several robots discussing the Buddha's teachings, though it was determined that a single robot would be preferable from a technical standpoint. A monologue on the Heart Sutra was chosen and it was decided that the android would take the form of Kannon, a bodhisattva associated with compassion. The Lotus Sutra mentions that Kannon is capable of manifesting in various forms. The Android Kannon Production Committee was established in September 2017 and included staff from Kōdai-ji as well as engineers from Osaka University. Ishiguro proposed that the 'Alter' model of robot be used as a prototype. The subject matter of Mindar's sermon was determined by Buddhist monks of the Rinzai school—Honda Dōryū of Baishō-in, Sakaida Taisen of Kennin-ji, and Unrin'in Sōseki of Reigen-in. They devised a narrative explaining the Buddhist concepts of compassion and emptiness, based on works by Hajime Nakamura and Mumon Yamada. The name 'Mindar' was proposed by Ogawa Kōhei, a roboticist at Osaka University. Mindar is not powered by artificial intelligence, though the designers originally had aspirations of endowing the android with machine-learning capabilities. Gotō said "This robot will never die; it will just keep updating itself and evolving. With AI, we hope it will grow in wisdom to help people overcome even the most difficult troubles. It's changing Buddhism." The android Kannon was constructed at a robotics laboratory at Osaka University. Ogawa Kōhei engineered the android and it was completed in February 2019. The total cost of the project was ¥100 million (US$909,090), though development of the android only cost ¥25 million (US$227,250). A traditional Buddhist ceremony was held for the android upon its introduction to the public in March 2019. The ceremony was attended by monks and included chanting, bell-ringing, and drumming. Mindar has historical precedents that were drawn on by its designers. Mechanized Karakuri puppets were produced in Japan from the 17th century and the country's first robot, the 11 ft (3.4 m) Gakutensoku, debuted in the late 1920s and could write calligraphy, change its facial expression, and move its head and hands through an air pressure mechanism. As a religion-oriented android, Mindar was preceded by other 21st-century robots, including the Chinese chatbot Robot Monk Xian'er and Pepper (produced 2015–2021), which could be programmed to perform Buddhist funeral rites, including chanting sutras and banging drums.

Description Mindar is a stationary, 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) tall android, weighing 60 kg (130 lb). It has a slender mechatronic body made from aluminum with silicone skin covering its face, hands, and shoulders. Mindar stands on a platform and does not have working legs. It is capable of blinking and smiling, and moves its head, torso, and arms through air hydraulics. Mindar accompanies its preaching with a variety of gestures, such as joining its palms together in gasshō. A camera implanted in Mindar's left eye allows the android to give the impression of eye contact by focusing on a person. The top of Mindar's skull is exposed, showing blinking lights and wires within its cranial cavity. Similarly most of the android's body is not covered in silicone, exposing wires and servo motors. Similar to Ishiguro's telenoid robots, Mindar has an androgynous appearance. The voice has been described as feminine and soothing.

Sermons

Mindar is situated within the Kōdai-ji temple complex at Kyōka Hall. Its sermons are open to the public, and are typically given twice daily on Saturdays and Sundays. Mindar gives a 25-minute sermon in Japanese on the Heart Sutra, addressing concepts of compassion and emptiness within Buddhism. Chinese and English subtitles are projected on the back wall of the room. In the pre-programmed sermon's introduction, a spotlight shines on Mindar, and the android begins speaking. It refers to itself as the bodhisattva, saying:

"As Kannon Bodhisattva, I can transcend time and space and transform into anything. As you can see, I have decided to meet you all in the form of an android..." The multimedia presentation is accompanied by operatic piano music and augmented through 360-degree projection mapping, including the projection of a virtual audience on the walls of the room. Mindar interacts with members of the projected audience, answering their questions in a pre-programmed dialogue. The sermon ends with Mindar chanting the Heart Sutra.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mindar

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mindar claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mindar before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mindar ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mindar

In research: Mindar appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mindar in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mindar is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2019 establishments in Japan, 2019 robots, Android (robot), so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mindar outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Mindar in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mindar means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mindar out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mindar in simple terms?

Mindar (Japanese: マインダー), also known as Android Kannon Mindar, is an android preacher at the Kōdai-ji temple in Kyoto, Japan. The humanoid robot regularly gives sermons on the Heart Sutra at the 400-year-old Zen Buddhist temple.

Why does Mindar matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mindar?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mindar.