World’s First Mindfulness Meditation Demo Led by a Robot Held at SXSW 2017

McCANN MILLENNIALS, the innovation project run by Millennial-generation employees of McCann Worldgroup Japan (President & CEO: Charles Cadell; Headquarter: Minato-ku, Tokyo), will host a demo of the world’s first  mindfulness meditation led by a robot at SXSW (South by Southwest) which will be held in Austin, Texas from March 10-19, 2017.

McCANN MILLENNIALS is a new innovative project led by members of the agency’s millennial generation or those born between 1980 and 2000. The millennial generation are said to be digital natives with high technological literacy, a generation with the potential to create the future through values and abilities wholly different from those of previous generations. The idea behind the initiative is to allow the group to take a more flexible, open innovative approach to developing products and services, not only cutting across the various disciplines within McCann Worldgroup Japan, but also inviting collaboration from outside academic institutions and companies.

Shiromaru is a robot that acts as your buddy and helps you to work creatively. The project’s aim is to work with various partner businesses and users to explore ways in which robots can bring new and unique value in the realm of creativity and to realise a harmonious coexistence between robots and humans. From facilitating meetings to voicing difficult opinions on behalf of participants, “Shiromaru” utilises sensors and cognitive technology to create an active and friendly atmosphere for ideation and discussion. McCann is currently working in an open environment of collaboration and input to verify the value Shiromaru can bring to clients.

'Mindfulness' refers to a state where you let go and rid yourself of all judgements and to direct your gaze to yourself. One effective way to enter the state of mindfulness is meditation. To meditate, you simply direct attention to your breathing. Anyone can do it. And because of this simplicity, meditation is often used as a means to achieve mindfulness. Training programs based on mindfulness is currently being offered at companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft. But it’s not just companies on the West Coast. This training of the mind and brain is now spreading to companies all over the globe.

This demo is hosted at the exhibition booth of the Digital Content Association of Japan (DCAJ) at the SXSW Trade Show. The robot “Shiromaru” will be guiding the mindfulness meditation demo for an experience of looking inward and conversing with oneself. Research results have shown that meditation helps people improve their ability for learning and inspiration. In the U.S., meditation is increasingly attracting the attention of businesses, and companies are offering programs to their employees.

Date and Time: Sunday, March 12 – Wednesday, March 15, 2017, everyday 15:30-16:30 

Venue: SXSW Trade Show, Austin Convention Center, Booth #1425