Have you ever found yourself unable to attend your best friend’s wedding because you live abroad and simply can’t make it for certain reasons? Or perhaps you’ve missed a family reunion due to work commitments or health issues, leaving you feeling disconnected and isolated from those important moments?
Today’s hero, Kentaro Yoshifuji, faced an even deeper challenge. Unable to attend school for years due to a certain disability, Kentaro felt the profound effects of loneliness. However, he didn’t let this stop him. Instead, he found an incredible way to overcome his challenge and help millions of others in various situations. His story is one of resilience, innovation, and a commitment to reducing loneliness through groundbreaking technology.
In our recent visit to the VivaTech 2024 conference in Paris, we had the incredible opportunity to meet the Ory Laboratory team and learn firsthand about their inspiring journey and cutting-edge technology. We were very impressed by the story behind the robots created by Kentaro Yoshifuji, which are transforming lives by combating loneliness.
Are you intrigued by how he did it? Then keep reading!
The personal story behind OriHime robot creation
Kentaro Yoshifuji was born in 1987 in Nara Prefecture, Japan. Unfortunately, due to a weak constitution, Kentaro suffered from pain in the body and sometimes couldn’t even move at all. Due to health issues, he had to miss school for 3,5 years. All this situation made him feel bad, causing negative thoughts and even depression. Loneliness became his closest friend and enemy at the same time…
In one of the interviews, Kentaro shared: “While staring at a ceiling every day, I almost forgot how to speak Japanese. It is really true that solitude could be a cause of melancholy or dementia, a serious mental illness.”
The feeling of loneliness and isolation can break down many people, but not Kentaro. He didn’t merely endure; despite his feelings of isolation and depression, he found strength within himself and began fighting back, searching for a solution while keeping in mind that one day, he could help others facing similar struggles. Interestingly, all the heroes in our “Inspiring Stories” series achieved success by solving real-world problems. Kentaro Yoshifuji’s journey mirrors this pattern.
Kentaro’s sad experience prompted him to attend a high school with robot programming classes, where he invented a new mechanism for electric wheelchairs. Inspired by his own healing journey and the desire to “eliminate human loneliness,” he pursued robotics research at Waseda University starting in 2007. His goal was to use technology to improve the lives of people unable to participate in typical social or work environments. Thus, in 2012, he founded OryLab Inc.
Interesting fact: Kentaro has loved origami since childhood and developed his own techniques during his school absence, which sparked his interest in manufacturing and robotics. The name of his company, “Ory,” is inspired by origami.
Ory Laboratory: solving human loneliness
They say, “The right people in your life make all the difference.” This rings especially true for Kentaro’s dream coming true. Thus, in 2010, thanks to meeting the CFO, who was instrumental in transforming Kentaro’s vision into a viable business, and the CIO, whose programming skills were essential, Kentaro Yoshifuji created the first OriHime unit. This marked the beginning of Ory Laboratory, which was officially established in 2012.
Later, Kentaro created other useful products, each designed to empower further people facing social participation challenges. These products leverage advanced technology to enhance accessibility, independence, and connectivity, ultimately broadening the scope of opportunities available within society. What are the products?
OriHime avatar robot
OriHimeOriHime, the avatar robot, is a communication tool designed to overcome social participation challenges caused by hospitalization, physical disability, and other movement restrictions. Equipped with a camera, microphone, and speaker, OriHime can be placed in locations such as schools, workplaces, or distant family homes and operated via the Internet.
This allows users to look around, hear conversations, and communicate as if they were physically present. OriHime allows children to attend school, workers to telecommute effectively, and people to participate in important family events and social interactions despite physical limitations or distance. This way, OriHime solves the problem of social isolation and limited participation, providing a sense of presence and connection despite physical barriers.
OriHime Eye
But Kentaro didn’t stop on the OriHime avatar robot; he also thought about people who can’t move at all and created the OriHime Eye. It is a communication device for severely physically disabled people who can only move their eyes or fingertips. It features an eye-tracking system and a transparent analog keyboard displayed on a screen, allowing users to control a PC, input characters, and have them read aloud.
Developed with input from ALS patients and others with intractable diseases, it offers customizable quick-response functions and input dials. Users can also connect and operate the OriHime avatar robot via the Internet. OriHime Eye allows communication through eye movements, allowing bedridden patients to converse with family, work remotely, and communicate over long distances by controlling the OriHime avatar.
OriHime-D
OriHime-D, a 120cm tall avatar robot, helps remote workers perform physical tasks such as customer service and item transport from home. Equipped with a camera, microphone, and speaker, OriHime-D can be controlled via the Internet and move freely with 14 joint motors in its upper body. This technology facilitates telework for physically demanding roles, including cafe services and building guidance, offering individuals with mobility challenges the opportunity to participate in the workforce.
For instance, there is a robot cafe called Dawn in Tokyo, Japan, that offers a personal OriHime pilot to serve you at your table. There is also a robot waiting for you at the bar counter and an OriHime pilot who has undergone barista training to serve you the coffee. OriHime-D can also be used by people unable to leave home due to childcare, nursing care, or physical disabilities. Professionals can offer guidance in remote locations while physically moving around the area using OriHime-D.
Does Ory Laboratory use AI?
Interestingly, none of Kentaro’s products are powered by AI, which is quite surprising to hear in this AI-dominated era. As Kentaro says himself, when he became interested in creating a robot that could be a friend to human beings and alleviate their loneliness, he studied AI for a year. But the more he learned about AI, the more he felt he was on the wrong track in aiming to tackle loneliness.
“It should be human beings who reduce the loneliness of other human beings, not a computer program,” he explains.
Thus, we can see that Kentaro’s idea is far deeper than it may seem at first glance. People might think, “One more robot is on the market; what can be special?” But in fact, the idea is about connecting lonely people to make friends and create pleasant memories instead of powering a robot with AI and letting people interact solely with robots.
How do Orylab’s robots operate?
Orylab’s robots operate primarily through telepresence, allowing users to interact with others and their environment remotely. These robots are controlled in real time via a computer, tablet, or smartphone. They are equipped with cameras and microphones to capture audio and video, which is transmitted to the user.
The user controls the robot’s movements and actions, such as pointing or navigating, through intuitive interfaces. Communication happens over the internet, allowing real interaction regardless of distance. The robots include cameras, sensors, microphones, speakers, motors, and software to facilitate remote control and communication, focusing on creating an environment of real human presence rather than relying on AI.
Kentaro’s social contribution
A significant number of physically disabled individuals suffer from loneliness, which can lead to severe mental health issues. According to the latest statistics for 2022, approximately 9.63 million people in Japan, or about 7.6% of the population, were living with some form of disability. This includes physical, intellectual, and mental disabilities, highlighting the need for robust support systems to integrate these individuals into society and the workforce.
Kentaro Yoshifuji’s innovative robots address this pressing issue by connecting isolated people with the world around them. Recognizing the pervasive loneliness that many disabled people face, Kentaro devoted his life to alleviating this solitude. His robots, designed to foster human connection and create pleasant memories, offer a profound societal contribution, transforming the lives of countless individuals who would otherwise remain disconnected.
Since OriHime has a face, users feel as if a person is with them. Yoshifuji designed the robot to make users feel a genuine human presence rather than interacting with a machine. He aimed to counter the feelings of non-existence and neglect that many isolated individuals experience. By giving users a sense of place and interaction, OriHime helps them feel acknowledged and connected. This interactive communication adds significant meaning to their existence, as seen in how Mr. Banda can use OriHime to wave and engage with others, reinforcing a sense of presence and participation.
Final thoughts
Can we say that Kentaro Yoshifuji made his dreams come true? Absolutely yes!
Kentaro Yoshifuji’s journey from a lonely, bedridden child to a pioneering inventor highlights his remarkable resilience and innovative spirit. His personal struggles with isolation fueled his determination to create solutions for others.
OriHime, with its human-like face and interactive capabilities, allows users to feel the presence of another person rather than just interacting with a machine. Kentaro addresses the profound need for human connection and acknowledgment, providing a sense of presence and participation in social interactions.The focus on human connection over artificial intelligence definitely sets his creations apart, proving his dream of using technology to eliminate human loneliness has made a significant societal impact.
