OriHime arrives at a local Mos Burger to test the future of inclusive work.

For technological experiments, Morioka is probably not the first choice that people would think of—in fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find it within a list of the top 20 cities people would come up with. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with it. I used to live there myself and it’s a beautiful city with a stunning view of Mt. Iwate, but being tucked away in Iwate, one of Japan’s northernmost prefectures, it’s not exactly a tech hub or tourist hotspot.

▼ Mt. Iwate over the Kitakami River

Even so, between February 6 and February 20, a palm-sized robot named OriHime will be helping to serve smiles at a Mos Burger branch in Morioka. OriHime is a 23-centimeter (nine-inch) tall avatar robot operated remotely by people who have difficulty going out due to disabilities, caregiving responsibilities, or other circumstances. Through the robot, these operators are able to chat with customers, assist with orders, and offer friendly greetings, adding a little human charm to the lives of people who are being drowned in AI-this and AI-that.

It’s not OriHime’s first appearance, as it’s been around for years, and most often works in Tokyo’s Harajuku, but it’s the first time it will make its way to Iwate Prefecture. Previous short-term deployments in places like Fukuoka and Hokkaido proved to be popular, but those were at bustling locations that are popular with tourists, so innovative technology is not so unusual to see. However, this visit to Morioka marks a particularly important milestone in the implementation of avatar technology precisely because of its characteristics. It’s a fairly ordinary regional city, with an outflux of labor to more popular cities and an aging population, so if this new technology earns favorable reviews here, it proves that OriHime could potentially function almost anywhere.

The Morioka Mach Land store isn’t exactly located in the heart of the city either, being a 20-minute walk from the nearest train station (Aoyama Station), or about a 15-minute bus ride from Morioka Station. It’s clear that the targeted customers for this visit are not those who are seeking the novelty of a little human-powered robot, nor is it international visitors who are looking to marvel at Japan’s latest innovations, but the regular families and students that visit the nearby shops and amusement facilities, showing off how that remote work and inclusive technology can fit seamlessly into daily life.

On weekdays between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., the operators of Orihime will connect and interact with customers. From Monday to Wednesday, these will be Challenge Mates (the in-house term for members with disabilities) from Mos Shine, a subsidiary of Mos Burger’s parent company that is focused on inclusive employment. On Thursdays and Fridays, operators with disabilities from OriHime’s developer, OryLab, will take over.

It doesn’t just end there, as in the center of Morioka, within Parc Avenue Kawatoku department store, is Heralbony Isai Park, a cultural space known internationally for celebrating artists with disabilities. From February 6 to February 23, the location will play host to OryLab’s pop-up Avatar Robot Cafe Dawn ver. Beta in Morioka.

▼ Dawn’s permanent cafe in Tokyo

With a vision to solve humanity’s loneliness, together these projects hope to show that inclusive technology is not only limited to major cities, but can connect people no matter where they are.

Not everyone can get up to northern Japan in February to show their support for the project, but that doesn’t mean you will miss out on meeting OriHime, as you might be lucky to get a glimpse of it in its usual base in Mos Burger’s Harajuku Omotesando store (you can check the schedule on the store’s website). If instead, you’d like to join in the celebration of art without borders and disabilities, Heralbony Laboratory Ginza also has a gallery to peruse and products to purchase. Or you could pay a visit to Avatar Robot Cafe Dawn’s permanent location in Nihonbashi, Tokyo.

For some people, Morioka might be an odd choice, but a small robot is proving that the future of technology and human connections don’t only belong to the big cities.

Store information
Mos Burger Morioka Mach Land / モスバーガー盛岡マッハランド店
Address: Iwate-ken, Morioka-shi, Kamido 1-chome, 2-50
岩手県盛岡市上堂1丁目2-50
Open 8:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m
Website

Heralbony Isai Park / ヘラルボニー旗艦店 ISAI PARK
Address: Iwate-ken, Morioka-shi, Saien 1-10-1
岩手県盛岡市菜園1-10-1
Open: 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Closed: Follows Parc Avenue Kawatoku’s schedule
Website

Related: Mos Burger Harajuku Omotesando Store, Heralbony Laboratory Ginza, OryLab
Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times (1, 2), ©SoraNews24
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