A Kolkata Durga Puja committee has taken up an initiative to deploy a semi-humanoid butler robot to raise awareness about global warming and the ill effects of smoking. Called Annapurna, the robot is set to meet and greet pandal hoppers at Dakshinapara Durgotsav near Dum Dum Park in Kolkata.

The puja committee has decided to induct Annapurna as a member of the club and utilise its services during the festivities. The robot is going to be a showstopper for the 62-year-old puja, believe organisers.

“Annapurna’s high-precision performance during the Debi Baran ritual on Sunday (September 18) had impressed the puja committee members,” The Telegraph quoted Arijit Hajra, CEO of Think Again Lab, the Kolkata-based start-up company that built and developed the robot, as saying.

According to the club’s general secretary Subhajit Das, Annapurna will talk about global warming and the ill effects of smoking on youngsters, who are likely to pay more attention to the robot.

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The robot, adept at multitasking, will be operated remotely by a team of professionals.

First created in 2019, Annapurna is about 5 feet 4 inches tall, only a little shorter than Xiaomi's recently launched robot CyberOne, The Times of India reported. The robot will move on wheels.

Annapurna is programmed to respond in 63 languages. The bot also has a sensing vision which can be used to create a 3D map of an area.

Annapurna has been reportedly featured on well-known television programmes and was also presented at the Bengal Global Business Summit. The robot displays the autograph of a noted cricketer, Sourav Ganguly, on its attire as well.

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(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)