Japanese cafe where robot waiters are operated by bedridden people (4 photos + 1 video)
Category: IT technologies, PEGI 0+
Today, 16:36
A unique cafe called DAWN Avatar Robot Café ver.β is located in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district. This permanent establishment, opened by OryLab Inc. in 2021, has become a symbol of the future. 
The waiters here are OriHime and OriHime-D robots, which are remotely controlled by people with severe physical disabilities, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, paralysis, or other conditions that prevent them from leaving their homes.
The project was conceived by Kentaro Yoshifuji, co-founder of OryLab, who himself experienced prolonged isolation due to illness as a child. He developed robots to help people overcome loneliness and engage in social activities.
"Pilots," as operators are called, work from home or hospitals, using eye tracking, simple controllers, or even minimal movements. They take orders, interact with guests, serve food and drinks, creating a warm atmosphere of genuine human interaction.
By the end of 2025, the cafe is thriving: the number of pilots has grown to one hundred, and in 2024, it served around sixty thousand visitors. This is not just an experiment, but a paid job that provides income, social connections, and a sense of usefulness. Guests note the sincerity of the interactions, and the robots convey the pilots' emotions, humor, and personal stories.
DAWN Café proves that technology can help people integrate into society, not replace them. Visitors leave with a sense of a future where barriers disappear and humanity remains paramount.
