Xian'er is a robotic Buddhist monk that lives at the 1,700 year-old Longquan Temple in Beijing, China. Video below. The temple is host to an animation and maker studio meant to blend technology, science, and spirituality. From CNN:
(Animation studio head and Buddhist master) Xianfan, a graduate of the Chinese Central Art Academy, first conceived Xian'er (Xian stands for virtuous. Er means dumb in Beijing dialect but is a term of endearment) in 2013 as a cartoon character…
(Xian'er) can answer up to 100 questions and a CNN team put him through his paces on a recent visit to the temple.
At first, he didn't seem very co-operative. His head kept spinning around and, like a child, he kept saying: "Leave me alone; stop bothering me."
But when he was in the mood, his Buddhist wisdom shined through:
"Where are you from?" we asked.
"How would I answer a question that you human beings have no answer to?" he quipped.
"Xian'er, who are your parents?" we countered.
"Do the designers count?" was his pithy reply.
