The Bunshin Robot Cafe - a product of the collaboration between the Municipality of Aarhus and Orylab- flips the script on a basic rule of the hospitality industry: the impossibility of remote work.
This has been made possible by a combination of factors: the public sector providing funding, outreach resources and a commitment to social inclusion, and the private sector complementing with an innovative idea.
The results involve people with disabilities serving your coffee through a remotely controlled robot in Aarhus.
Pushing the boundaries of the labour market
Orylab created its signature OriHime-D robots with an objective in mind: increasing the possibilities of actively participating in the labour market for people with physical disabilities or difficulties with social participation. This is done by allowing them to perform jobs entailing physical labour that they would be otherwise precluded from. This intuition resulted in the introduction of remotely controlled robots waiting tables and chatting with costumers at Bunshin Café in Aarhus.
If complex problems require creative solutions, this partnership aimed to go above and beyond, showing that the public sector can increase possibilities of labour market inclusion. Furthermore, the cafe provided not only an opportunity for people with disability to work, but also to push their boundaries and increasing their scope of the self-perceived capabilities.
As proof of the project’s impact, despite it being a 6-month pilot, former Bunshin cafe employees have declared how the job provided them with the confidence they needed to make steps towards overcoming their socialising problems. Others have now moved on to other employment endeavours, which would have been deemed unachievable before.
Re-thinking the potential of technology in Social Services
These robots serve to enhance our understanding of how technology can be leveraged for support, highlighting the social dimension it can create. This finding becomes particularly relevant today, amidst the artificial intelligence boom, causing technology to be increasingly regarded as a replacement to human labour and connection.
The Bunshin cafe stands as a lighthouse overthrowing this assumption with an innovative concept, a machine remotely powered by a real human. One who can leverage technology to overcome difficulties that impact on their self-esteem and sense of self-empowerment.
This collaboration between an ESN member, the Municipality of Aarhus, and the private partner of ESSC 25, Orylab demonstrates how social inclusion can emerge from the collective commitment of an entire community — from public institutions and café owners to technology innovators.
By facilitating connections between members with complex needs and partners offering innovative solutions, the European Social Network serves as a key intermediary in advancing social support. This approach is rooted in harnessing the strength of public-private partnerships to drive meaningful social innovation.