Tech ZenBot: robotic gear for pilgrimages

It was part of an experiment to see how the machine would fare in supporting the religious pilgrims on the tough terrain. They were walking the "henro" pilgrimage in the Shikoku region to trace the footsteps of Kukai (774-835), a Buddhist priest, also known as Daishi or Kobo Daishi. After the test was over, a woman in her 50s who climbed a 500-meter slope between two temples with her husband called the technology "marvelous." [...] While Walk Mate has been used in medical centers and elsewhere for physical therapy since 2018, it was only tested for outdoor use for the first time in this recent verification trial. The experiment took place in Zentsuji, where Kukai hails from. The test used a sloped road that connects the Mandaraji and Shusshakaji temples, which are the 72nd and 73rd destinations along the pilgrimage route.

Click to expand...