On June $22,2021,$ just a few weeks before the city$$s Summer Paralympic Games were slated to begin,

Tokyo$$s Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe officially opened its doors for business. Located on the busy side street of

a neighborhood business district, the cozy restaurant, packed with tropical plants and golden$-$toned wood

furniture, makes for a warm escape from the hustle and bustle just outside its doors. But its classic bistro

menu and homey decor are where Dawn Avatar$$s typical cafe experience ends. Instead of living servers

crisscrossing the aisles, cheerful robots glide from table to table, taking orders and delivering meals.

Called OriHime$-$D$,$ these machines aren$$t a fun and futuristic novelty for drumming up publicity, though $$

they$$re an innovative opportunity for people with disabilities to find meaningful employment. Each is

remotely controlled by a worker who uses specially programmed software and other adaptive technologies

to operate their robot and communicate with customers.

Both OriHime$-$D and Dawn Avatar are part of a new effort from Ory Laboratories $$ a Japanese robotics

company$$aiming to$$create a new way of participating in the social sphere$$ for people with disabilities. Ory

Labs$$ mission is to develop adaptive technologies that make workplaces more inclusive and accessible. So

far, it looks like the company is well on its way to achieving this goal with OriHime$-$D and Dawn Avatar $$

and in inspiring other employers to follow suit.

Remote Pilots Bring OriHime$-$D to Life Using Adaptive Technology

Standing at about $4$ feet tall with a glossy white shell, movable arms and hands, and large, luminous eyes,

OriHime$-$D wouldn$$t look too out of place in a Pixar movie. But, there$$s a lot of helpful technology behind

its charming exterior.

Using motorized joints and multidirectional wheels, the robot can roll freely around Dawn Avatar, deliver

orders and converse with guests. OriHime$-$D isn$$t programmed to do these things on its own, though.

Behind each robot is a $$pilot$$: a person with a disability who uses Ory Labs$$ innovative software to tell

each machine what to do and where to go$.$ Pilots can operate the internet$-$connected robots remotely $$

many live hundreds of miles away from the cafe $$ using a handheld mouse to select different functions in

the software that controls OriHime$-$D units. But, they can also choose to use the$$ OriHime Eye camera $.$

The Eye is a piece of adaptive technology $$ a device that$$s designed to make certain tasks easier for people

with disabilities to perform. Specifically, the Eye helps pilots whose disabilities limit their keyboard use.

Instead of moving their arms and hands to type, a pilot can look at a digital keyboard on their computer

screen. The Eye$$s sensors track and record eye movements as the pilot selects onscreen letters, words and

Competitive Intelligence and Asian Business Strategy $($GSGM$7514)$

SEPTEMBER $2024$ Final Assessment

functions. Then, those selections tell the pilot$$s corresponding OriHime$-$D in Dawn Avatar where to go and

what to do$,$ whether that$$s heading to the kitchen or handing coffee to a customer.

What help$$pilots fully connect with customers, though, are OriHime$-$D$$s microphones, speakers and

cameras. Like video$-$chatting, these features let pilots and customers have real conversations. Digital badges

attached to OriHime$-$D units show photos of the pilots to make communication and connections more

genuine. This lineup of tech features provides what$$Ory Labs calls$$a $$feeling of presence in both directions$$

$$and ultimately creates an interactive, personal experience that$$s also a key way for pilots to maintain

social connections from home. Based on the case study, what is the importance of strategy and how does building a

competitive advantage help a company develop unique strategies?