Working in Hiroshima while staying in Hiroshima with a "alternate robot" Even if you can't go out due to illness or disability ... A man whose life has changed due to customer service at a cafe

Operate the robot from a remote location to serve customers

FNN Prime Online

Work in Tokyo while in Hiroshima. We covered the efforts of ICT = information and communication technology that enabled flexible working styles. [Image] Mr. Imai, who was diagnosed with somatic symptom disorder, started a business with confidence Momoe Ishii Reporter: I'm at a cafe in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. There is a robot Robot: Thank you for visiting us. Hello, this is the name of "alternate robot cafe" where robots work. It's not uncommon now to have robots ... Robot: Good evening. Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm only a pilot. Operated from Aichi Prefecture The person who was operating this robot and serving customers was a person in Aichi Prefecture. Other…. Robot: Hello. There was also a robot that was operating from Yamagata prefecture and was guiding the store from Hokkaido. People called "pilots" who operate and serve customers are located in various places from Hokkaido in the north to Australia in the south, and work using personal computers and tablet terminals. This robot "Orihime" was developed to create an environment where people who are bedridden and unable to leave the house due to illness or disability such as cerebral palsy can work.

Diagnosed as somatic symptom disorder ... Rehabilitation as a pilot

――What kind of movements can you do with a robot? Michio Imai (voice): Basically, you can swing your head or make a hand gesture, like waving your hand when welcoming a customer. A person who operates a movement such as fluttering moves a robot by pressing a button on a personal computer. Michio Imai (voice): And this kind of movement ... "Why isn't it!" Mr. Imai, the pilot who told me that, is in Hiroshima. --How long have you been a pilot? Michio Imai (voice): It's been about two and a half years. Mr. Imai was diagnosed with "somatic symptom disorder" a few years before he was about 30 years old. Michio Imai (voice): My head suddenly hurts, I'm hungry, and I have some illness-like symptoms, but I don't have any lesions on my body. It's also a difficult illness, how to control it. When I got out of my house and saw a lot of people on the platform of the station, I was sick and was carried by an ambulance. Mr. Imai was forced to quit and stayed at home and couldn't get out of the house. Still hoping to get back into society, he learned on TV that he was looking for a pilot for his alter ego robot. Michio Imai (voice): I applied because I thought this was the only place.I can't see my face, but I can see the other person's face, and I think it's great that people can talk to me without worrying about their own life.