In one of the few cases where robots are actually helping people get work rather than costing them jobs, a new bar in Japan will soon debut with robot bartenders.
These Ory Labs robots are not controlled by some autonomous AI system. Instead, the bar will use remotely controlled robots to connect customers with remote human pilots. In doing this, the robot bartender becomes less of an automated human substitute and more of a remote avatar.
According to Japan Today, unlike an AI service system, the robots at the OrySNACK Kyoto bar are not built to hold discussions or make judgments on their own. Instead, a human pilot controls them remotely, moving the robot and using it to converse with customers.
When it began building avatar robots, Ory Labs’ initial goal was to give children and adolescents who are unable to attend classes in-person (either due to physical or mental health issues) a way to have a presence within their schools and form bonds with classmates. Ory Labs then realized that its inventions could produce similar benefits for adults who’re unable to work outside the home. The OriHime robot’s remote controls allow it to be piloted even by someone who’s lying down, and this feature, the designers say, means that it can be controlled by individuals with spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, ALS, and SMA.
The robot bartenders will allow humans unable to leave their homes to still experience the workplace, and someday, perhaps, own a bar
Projects like OrySNACK Kyoto, according to Ory Labs, can offer a sense of purpose and interpersonal connection, in addition to the financial benefits and better employment prospects. According to the company, “OrySNACK Kyoto is not just a place that serves drinks,” but a space for forging connections between the people who meet there.
Kyoto was picked as the site in part because it attracts a diverse spectrum of tourists, both domestic and foreign, young and old, giving the robots’ controllers the chance to interact with a wide range of customers. Also, if they choose to, the robots could be programmed to speak multiple languages.
By using these robots as bartenders, someone who can’t physically travel to the workplace can still participate in the customer experience. Ory Labs says one of its long-term goals is for one of its human robot pilots to eventually run their own bar remotely.