You thought that robots were only the creepy humanoids of Elon Musk, and this future did not make you want?
So prepare to discover a radically different approach straight from Japan. Here, no ultra-sophisticated Androids or total automation but rather robotics that gives new meaning to the word inclusion.
In the heart of Tokyo is a unique establishment of its kind: the Dawn Café. At first glance, nothing distinguishes him from the many coffees that dot the Japanese capital, however, as soon as you cross the door, you realize that something is different. Indeed, the servers that welcome you are not humans, but robots Distancely piloted by people with disabilities. Robots avatars in short & mldr;
These robots, baptized Orhimedo not seek to resemble humans and their minimalist and assumed design recalls more Wall-e than science fiction androids. And that’s precisely their strength: They do not try to replace humans, but rather to increase it.
Take the example of Chifuyu, a former sound engineer who has become an orihime pilot. Affected by chronic fatigue syndrome which prevents her from moving more than a few meters, she can now work from her house by controlling her robot avatar. Thanks to a front camera, a microphone and simplified controls, it interacts with customers as if it were physically present.
The system is remarkably well thought out:
- An intuitive interface to control the robot movements
- A high definition camera to see the environment
- A bidirectional audio system to communicate naturally
- And preprogrammed gestural commands to facilitate interactions
I find that this Japanese approach to robotics deserves a little dwelling. Because unlike the frantic race that we are living and which takes us to ever more human robots, the creators of Orihime have made the deliberate choice of a design Minimalist & Functional. This philosophy thus avoids the “Uncanny Valley” effect, this discomfort that we feel in front of too human robots, while maximizing the effectiveness of interactions.
As one of the designers explains in the report: “A robot should look like a robot. It is a tool, and a tool must have the appearance that corresponds to its function.”This pragmatic approach allows users to focus on the essentials: human communication and interaction.
But the real innovation of the Dawn Café does not reside in the technology itself but in its social impact & MLDR; This creates jobs for people traditionally excluded from the labor market, it allows enriching social interactions for everyone, it changes the view of society on disability and it shows that inclusion and innovation can go hand in hand.
Thus, by fully assuming this robotic aspect, without trying to physically copy humans, these avatars allow much more human interactions. Nice paradox, right?
In short, in this world increasingly obsessed with automation and AI, this approach shows us another way: that of a technology that increases humans rather than trying to replace them. I like it a lot.
In any case, thanks to Hub, member of my Patreon communityfor having shared this inspiring discovery with me!
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