Coinciding with the start of the Tokyo Paralympics on 24 August is the launch of a new café in the Japanese capital city where the staff are made up of robots as waiters that are controlled and operated by people with disabilities who are unable to leave their house.
The 120cm-tall robot waiters at Dawn Café in Tokyo are essentially “avatars” called OriHime-D and are equipped with a camera, microphone, and speaker which allows workers with disabilities to see and hear what the robots are doing in the restaurant.
What’s more, these workers can even speak to their customers in real-time by typing out messages which the robots will then vocalise.
The café is part of the latest venture of Japanese robotics company Ory Laboratory Inc, which is working to create a society that is inclusive and accessible.
It is said that the company’s CEO and co-founder, Kentaro Yoshifuju, was inspired to design these robot avatars after being bed-ridden in the hospital for almost three years.
These robots first made the news back in 2018 during the pilot phase, which saw about 10 people with varying disabilities that restricted their movement controlling the robots at the pop-up café in Tokyo.
The pilot scheme was looking to test the connection between the robots and those who controlled them. The café was opened for about two weeks at that time, while the brains behind the operation sought to raise funds for a permanent establishment.
The impact this can have on the community in Tokyo, as well as around the world, would be massive given the current difficulties faced by some people who are unable to fully or safely participate in a society that has been catered for able-bodied individuals.
These robot avatars are controlled by eye movements, meaning that even people who are fully immobilised will be able to work and enjoy more opportunities to interact with others in society, thus lessening the isolation that disability can bring.
