Progress Report
Cybernetic Avatar Technology and Social System Design for Harmonious Co-experience and Collective Ability[5] Designing a co-created CA society that expands diversity and inclusivity (Social Co-Creation Research Group)
Progress until FY2024
1. Outline of the project
Creating a
Well-being Lifestyle
to Overcome Disabilities and Challenges with CA.
To realize a Cybernetic Avatar (CA) society where individuals can fully demonstrate their abilities regardless of innate physical differences—and act beyond bodily, spatial, and social constraints—we engage in co-creation with people directly affected by social challenges such as disability and aging. Through these collaborations, we aim to shape future ways of living, working, learning, and enjoying life with CAs, contributing to the realization of the "Cybernetic Avatar lifestyle" envisioned in Goal 1.
Practical action research on overcoming disabilities through CA
Kentaro YOSHIFUJI (OryLab Inc.)
2. Outcomes so far
- (1) Conducted proof-of-concept experiments at the Avatar Robot Café DAWN ver.β, a workplace for people with disabilities, applying CAs’ core technologies such as cognitive augmentation, parallelized agency, and skill fusion
- (2) Avatar Robot Café DAWN ver.β received multiple domestic and international awards, including the Golden Nica (Grand Prize) at Ars Electronica
- (3) Outdoor field trials of a mobile cart-type CA with the participation of individuals with disabilities
- (4) CA-based work experience program for students at special needs schools
- (5) Launched the first international field trial of the Avatar Robot Café in Aarhus, Denmark
At the Avatar Robot Café DAWN ver.β, 110 “pilots” with disabilities such as ALS, SMA, and spinal cord injuries remotely operate avatar robots from home or hospital to serve customers.
(1) In 2023, a month-long trial tested new work styles using CAs, including: (i) virtual avatars designed by the pilots, (ii) parallel operation of multiple CAs, and (iii) two-person collaboration on a single CA for cake decorating. The impact of sustained remote work was evaluated.
(2) DAWN ver.β received major international awards including the Ars Electronica Golden Nica, Good Design Grand Award, and Zayed Sustainability Prize.
(3) In Fujisawa, a hybrid CA combining a robot avatar and mobile platform was field-tested outdoors for guiding visitors and selling goods, demonstrating use beyond indoor environments.
(4) Since 2022, a CA-based work experience program has been offered to students with disabilities at special needs schools. A total of 26 students from 19 schools across 4 cities have participated, helping to assess the usefulness of CAs and key environmental factors for future employment of young users with disabilities.
(5) Starting in April 2025, a six-month trial of the "Bunshin Robot Cafe Øens Madhus" will take place in Aarhus, Denmark, to promote CA-based workstyle by training and employing local individuals with disabilities as CA operators.
3. Future plans
To realize a society where anyone can freely participate in communities and work through CAs—regardless of physical disabilities or spatial constraints—we are advancing: the global expansion of CA-based employment for people with disabilities, the extension of CA work into more diverse industries, and proposals for domestic and international policy frameworks to support these new forms of social participation.