By: Melissa Chang
Imagine a robot serving as your waiter at a café, taking your orders. Does this defeat the purpose of human interaction in dining? Not at DAWN Avatar Robot Café. Back in 2021 (post-pandemic), I came across an article that covered the launch of a new concept cafe in my hometown Tokyo, Japan. What caught my attention was that this cafe is fully operated by robots, with disabled individuals behind the screens of the robots. This raises an important question: Can disabled and able-bodied individuals find new communities and participate whilst being confined to their homes? Located in the Nihonbashi Life Sciences Buildings, DAWN (Diverse Avatar Working Network) Avatar robot cafe is working towards one goal: the elimination of “loneliness” from the human race.
When founder Kentaro Yoshifuji was hospitalized during his childhood due to a mental illness, he felt a strong sense of loneliness since he could not attend school and interact with his peers. This prompted Yoshifuji to learn about robots in high school and his goal ultimately became to create robots that would ease the lives of people who faced barriers to participate in the social sphere. In 2012, Yoshifuji founded Ory Laboratory. Ory Laboratory aims to create technology that will allow all individuals to participate in society as themselves, meet new people, and earn salaries.
OriHime is Ory Laboratory’s first avatar robot and is equipped with a camera, microphone, and speaker. OriHime can be operated from anywhere as long as there is internet. OriHime features an eye-tracking system and a transparent analog keyboard displayed on a screen, allowing users to control a PC, input characters, and have them read aloud. The 120-cm tall OriHime-D is the specific robot model that operates in Avatar Dawn Cafe. With 14 joint motors in its upper body, OriHime-D can facilitate remote work that requires physical activity, such as customer service at cafes and guidance in buildings.
At DAWN, OriHime pilots are placed around the cafe to guide you through your dining experience. Currently, there are over 60 pilots in and outside of Japan working for the cafe (the recruitment of pilots is currently suspended and will be resumed in the near future). Customers have the option to choose to experience OriHime Diner, the bar counter, or the Tele-Barista. At the OriHime Diner, reservations are required in advance and a personal OriHime pilot will serve you at your table. An adult ticket (over age 12) is 4,400 yen ($29.43 USD) and a child ticket is 2,200 yen ($14.71 USD). Both tickets include one dish and one beverage. At the bar counter, customers have the option to choose from original non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. The Tele-Barista experience offers something truly unique. Customers are served by trained barista pilots who guide them through the selection of various coffee beans and recommend the perfect chocolate pairing. This innovative service is a collaboration with Kawada Technologies. Fujita, an individual with ALS behind one of the Tele-Baristas, feels “saved from a sense of loneliness when I stay connected with people outside, doing something for them and seeing their smile.” Additionally, at DAWN, customers can step into the role of an OriHime pilot, operating in-store robots to enhance their experience further.
Unemployment among disabled people remains to be an issue, even in 2024. If Japan can create spaces like DAWN that bridge the gap between disabled and abled-bodied individuals, the US should utilize its cutting-edge technology to help improve the lives of disabled individuals who have long faced feelings of isolation and discrimination in our society. 19-year-old Ayaka Hoshiba operates the OriHime pilot from Okayama Prefecture. As an individual with spinal muscular atrophy, she says, “I didn’t think I could [ever] work, so I’m very happy to realize that there are roles I can play.”
Orihime is committed to fostering human connection and creating positive memories, transforming the lives of countless individuals who would otherwise remain disconnected from interaction. Yoshifuji designed the robots to have facial features, providing users with genuine human presence rather than mere interaction with a machine. He wanted to counter the feelings that many isolated individuals experienced. Unlike other robots that have been invented in the past years, OriHime is actually enjoyable to interact with. As technology continues to advance, it is critical that we consider how to integrate human interaction with innovation rather than replace the human workforce.
I plan to visit DAWN cafe next time I am back home and will report back to you about my experience interacting with an Orihime pilot!
Check Out this video to learn more about the cafe: DAWN Youtube Video
References:
Steen, Emma. 2021. “4 Ways DAWN Avatar Robot Café Is Reinventing Tokyo’s Restaurant Scene with Robotics.” Time Out Tokyo. Time Out. August 12, 2021.
“Avatar Robot Café.” n.d. 分身ロボットカフェ DAWN 2021 - AVATAR ROBOT CAFE DAWN 2021. Accessed November 4, 2024.
“OryLab Inc.” 2018. OryLab Inc. October 25, 2018.
Vyshyvaniuk, Kseniia. 2024. “The Inspiring Story: Kentaro Yoshifuji, Co-Founder and CEO at OryLab.” KITRUM. June 18, 2024.
Ishikawa, Shinobu. 2022. “Avatar Robot Café Dawn: Power to the People with Disabilities.” Tokyo Weekender. June 21, 2022.
Original Post Date: 20 February 2025