Interview cooperation:b8ta Tokyo – Yurakucho
If you are interested in this article, are you troubled by loneliness?
Even if this is not the case, I believe there are many people who feel lonely because they are unable to move due to a disability or illness.
I want to see you but I can't...
Video chat tools have evolved to the point where it is now easy for many users to engage in two-way conversations on a regular basis.
However, no optimal answer has been presented for those who are unable to move.
What if there was a tool that allowed people who are unable to move due to injuries or disabilities, or who are socially withdrawn or mentally scarred and unable to go outside, to convey messages with emotion?
The tool I'd like to introduce today, "OriHime," is a wonderful tool that can help solve that loneliness.
OriHime is your "alter ego"
"OriHime" hasA variety of gestures and dialogue applications are available, enabling people with communication challenges to interact with the outside world.
"OriHime" is a robot that acts as your alternate self, developed for people who are unable to communicate with the outside world for various reasons, such as childcare, injury, illness, or social withdrawal.
Developer's product concept
Below is an excerpt from OriHime's developer, OriLab Inc.'s, statement of its commitment to manufacturing:
New ways to participate in society through "alter egos"
Since 2009, Ory Lab has advocated avatar robots, or "another body," as a tool to solve the problem of loneliness, and has been conducting research and development with a view to developing the "avatar industry." If avatars could be remotely controlled via the internet, the issue of "movement" would disappear, and people would be able to go out mentally without being affected by distance or physical disabilities. Furthermore, if avatars could assist with communication, the burden of "conversation" would be reduced. Furthermore, it would be possible to acquire "roles" from a wider range of options, such as physical labor and customer service, which were difficult to do with traditional telework.
Quote source:Ory Laboratory Inc.
It makes the "want to meet" of various people come true
There are several types of "OriHime", and the one we will introduce this time is "OriHime Lite" This product is called.
This product was developed for individual users to change the common sense of physical issues such as distance and obstacles, such as "I want to meet that person who is not nearby," "I want to go out with a friend who can't go out," or "I want to communicate with my parents who are difficult to get home to."
Easy-to-understand screen allows remote operation
OriHime eye+Switch makes what was previously impossible possible.
"OriHime eye+Switch" is software that allows you to input text, communicate using synthesized voice, and send and receive emails.
Furthermore, the robot is compatible with eye-gaze input devices, allowing even people with severe disabilities to input text smoothly and can also read aloud, making it possible for the robot to act as a substitute for a caregiver in providing assistance.
In addition to displaying hiragana and body parts on the watch face, it is also possible to register input history and original watch faces.
In addition to its role as a communication tool, it can also be used in a variety of other ways, such as for email and note-taking.
Various functions
Six features of OriHime
Below are six other diverse features of OriHime.
OriHime allows for one-way (from the remote operator's perspective) video and two-way audio communication. This reduces the feeling of being "surveilled" and allows for friendly conversations between both parties. At the same time, it also saves on communication traffic.
OriHime is equipped with a high-definition quality camera to convey a dynamic feeling. In addition, by adopting the VP8 codec, it is possible to transmit HD quality video in a minimal infrastructure environment. In addition, depending on the limited communication quality, the video quality is adjusted to maintain the quality of the conversation.
The form that was completed after much trial and error was designed based on Noh masks, which have complex expressions that show a mixture of joy, anger, sadness and happiness. This makes it easy to pick up the facial expressions of the remote control user, and gradually OriHime begins to look like the person in question. By pursuing a sense of presence that makes it seem as if the remote control user is "there," you can actually feel as if the remote control user is being projected onto OriHime.
OriHime is already equipped with a speaker and microphone, but it also has a 3.5mm mini jack to maintain audio quality even in large conference rooms, etc. By connecting a microphone or speaker depending on the usage situation, you can make calls without being restricted by space.
As a result of our pursuit of communication technology, we have realized a service that incorporates a variety of security measures. In addition to two-factor authentication, we have strived to ensure robust communication security so as not to compromise the safety and convenience of our users.
Easy to operate and expressive
Easy operation
No complicated settings are required; simply turn on OriHime.
Design that looks like you
OriHime, which has a wide range of emotions, is designed to gradually take on the personality of the operator as you interact with it.
rich emotional expression
The registered motion and the arm will help you express your facial expressions more.
How will OriHime change the world?
When I first used OriHime, I was most impressed by the variety of its adorable motions.
In particular, people with severe disabilities are unable to move their bodies.
"OriHime" was able to express a wide range of expressions and emotions that people wanted to convey, and sometimes its unique motions made us chuckle.
The interface is also very well organized, so you won't get lost.
I feel that this is a wonderful product that can help convey a new side of itself to others, not only for people with severe disabilities, but also for able-bodied people who want to express their feelings more expressively.
This product has only just begun to be rolled out, but it is likely to lead to new forms of communication between people, including the "Avatar Robot Cafe" introduced below.
"OriHime" has such great potential.
Avatar Robot Cafe opens
An "Avatar Robot Cafe" will open in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo in June 2021.
The yet unseen future created between a remote-controlled robot and real-life visitors is finally becoming a reality.
Below is the concept from the official website.
What is the Avatar Robot Cafe?
The "Avatar Robot Cafe" is an experimental cafe run by Ory Lab Inc., where people who have difficulty going out due to serious illnesses or severe disabilities such as ALS remotely control the avatar robots "OriHime" and "OriHime-D" to work as service staff. By hosting this cafe, we aim to create jobs for motivated people who are unable to go out but want to work, while also using technology to overcome the issues that prevent people from participating in society.
This initiative has been updated three times since its first event in 2018, and a permanent experimental store will open in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo in June 3 in preparation for further social implementation. Come see what the future holds for you in Nihonbashi, Tokyo.
Source: DAWN
I'm already looking forward to seeing what kind of stories will emerge between the user robot and real visitors.
If you are interested in the details of the Bunshin Robot Cafe, please check the latest information by clicking the button below.
Comment from Ory Laboratory
Summary
Connecting people. Today's IT technology makes it very easy to do so.
However, what is necessary for communication between people is warmth and facial expressions, and these elements are essential to actually picking up on emotions.
"OriHime" is a groundbreaking product that enables such two-way emotional communication.
OriHime is an avatar robot that acts as a bridge between all those who experience loneliness, such as people with disabilities or injuries that prevent them from moving, pregnant women, people who cannot return to their parents' home for some reason, and people who are suffering as social recluses.
I hope that one day this loneliness will disappear and the world will be filled with smiles.
That's all from editorial staff member T!
\OriHime Lite trial is currently underway/
<Interview cooperation>
b8ta Tokyo – Yurakucho
Business hours: 11:00 – 19:30
Closed: Irregular holidays
100F Yurakucho Denki Building, 0006-1-7 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 1-1
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OriHime is equipped with cameras and microphones on its neck and arms. Users operating it remotely can control it realistically with its neck and arms, which can move freely. The person facing OriHime can converse with the remote user by speaking to the product.