Arya News - OrySnack`s new avatar robot project provides work opportunities for people who may otherwise have difficulties commuting to conventional workplaces due to circumstances such as illness, disability, pregnancy, and caregiving responsibilities, among others.
TOKYO – A new bar where people who have difficulty working outside the home serve customers by remotely operating avatar robots opened in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, in August. The venue is called OrySnack.
The bar is a Japanese-style establishment known as a “snack.” Such bars are typically run by a woman called the “mama,” who serves drinks and chats with customers. Snack bars have long served as places for social interaction.
OrySnack is located inside Avatar Robot Cafe Dawn ver. β, which opened in 2021 and is operated by OryLab Inc., developer of the OriHime avatar robot. About 100 people is currently registered to work at the cafe by remotely operating avatar robots, while the venue attracts about 60,000 visitors a year from Japan and abroad.
People work via avatars at new snack bar in Tokyo
The project provides work opportunities for people who may have difficulty commuting to a conventional workplace because of illness, disability, pregnancy, caregiving responsibilities or other circumstances.
Drawing on lessons learned from running the cafe, the operator has placed interaction with customers at the heart of the bar’s service. Six operators work each shift, chatting individually with customers through the robots’ cameras and speakers.
A self-introduction in English by Guro Mama.
Customers can sample four carefully selected varieties of sake while experiencing traditional snack bar culture, where conversation flows naturally among strangers. Thanks to the larger OriHime-D avatar robot, which has movable arms, customers can even raise a glass and toast with the robot.
On the evening of Sept. 9, an operator known as Guro Mama, 59, who has muscular dystrophy, served customers remotely from her home in Tokyo. She carefully described the characteristics of each sake before chatting warmly with customers about their lives and a range of other topics.
OrySnack is located inside Avatar Robot Cafe Dawn ver. β, in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward.
“Not only was she very knowledgeable, but hearing about her experiences working remotely in places such as Germany and Kyoto also made the sake taste even more special,” said a 52-year-old office worker who visited with colleagues. “The experience broadened my world far beyond what a typical snack bar offers.”
OrySnack viewed from outside.
The bar is open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the time being. Reservations are required, with each session lasting about 70 minutes. Reservations are limited to parties of up to four, and customers may share a table with other groups.
A second OrySnack location is scheduled to open in Kyoto in December.
An avatar robot moves between tables at the bustling Avatar Robot Cafe Dawn ver. β, located at the front of OrySnack.