The DAWN Avatar Café
“The future we imagine is the future we create,” says futurist Stuart Candy. But how can one imagine, let alone create, a future that is radically inclusive? What does it mean to move beyond “diversity”—a business strategy used to target new markets—to true social inclusion?
In a world where an ever-growing number of people are being left behind by globalization and technology, can we create a future in which everyone has a role to play? This is the challenge that Ory Laboratory, a Tokyo-based tech company, has taken on with the launch of DAWN café, an “Avatar Robot Café” in the city’s Nihonbashi district.
DAWN (Diverse Avatar Working Network) café is the first of its kind in the world. Its purpose is to help people with mobility problems, family commitments, or other impediments that make it hard to find conventional work by providing remote employment with the help of technology solutions.
At DAWN café, remote workers operate robot avatars that interact with customers on their behalf. The two robots, OriHime and OriHime-D have been designed by Ory Laboratory to not only provide customer service but also to create an emotional connection with patrons. The goal is to eventually have the robots operated by people with a wide range of disabilities, even the ones who can only move their eyes.
The robots are equipped with a camera, microphone, and speaker, which are all operated remotely via the internet. Users do not need to be tech-savvy since the service is entirely web-based. They may also be operated by someone with no technical knowledge as long as they have access to the internet, making it an ideal choice for individuals who are unable to leave their homes.