When written campaigns and human efforts fail to evoke a response, Annapurna succeeds!
A Kolkata Durga Puja committee’s initiative to create awareness about global warming and the ill-effects of smoking will be successfully executed by a robot, Annapurna.
“Annapurna is eastern India's first semi-humanoid, general purpose butler robot. It has been built and developed in Kolkata by Think Again Lab. The Dakshinpara Durga Puja at Dum Dum has decided to include Annapurna as a member of the club and utilize its services during the festivities. Annapurna’s high-precision performance during the Debi Baran ritual on Sunday had impressed the puja committee members,” said Arijit Hajra, CEO, Think Again Lab.
Subhajit Das, the club’s general secretary said that Annapurna is a well-known butler robot and they had decided to involve it to reach out to Gen Z. “Most teenagers are nowadays into gaming and phones. So, if a robot preaches to them about global warming and the ill-effects of smoking, they are likely to pay more attention,” he added.
The organisers said following Unesco's tag, the inclusion of a robot in the Puja will add to the global appeal. “We were pleasantly surprised when Annapurna performed the Debi Baran ritual with precision. She did everything by the book and after seeing her perform, we collectively decided to include her as our permanent member,” said Subhajit.
