Tokyo’s Talking Subway Robots Can ARISA, a humanoid robot, help solve Tokyo’s labor shortage?
Tokyo’s Talking Subway
Robots
Can ARISA, a humanoid
robot, help solve Tokyo’s labor shortage?
By Ann Babe Contributor Jan.
8, 2019, at 10:59 a.m.
AS THOUSANDS OF OLYMPIC
organizers, Tokyo city administrators, and local and foreign volunteers scurry
to prepare for the upcoming 2020 Summer Games, another, somewhat less anxious,
worker named ARISA is getting ready, too.
Facing an influx of
Olympic spectators, as well as an aging population and low birth rate that has
resulted in a national labor shortage, Japan is turning to robotics to help
handle the demand for workers.
ARISA, a project by the
Tokyo Metropolitan Government, is a 6-foot guide robot that will work in the
subway stations to show passengers the way to restrooms and lockers, offer
transit directions and recommend tourist attractions in the area. Developed by
the Japanese tech company Aruze Gaming and Chicago-headquartered THK, she's wide-eyed,
sharply dressed and can speak in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. She's
also accompanied by a touch-screen monitor.
After completing a test
run at the Ueno-Okachimachi and Tochomae subway stops at the end of December,
the city is preparing for a second trial at five stations in February. Based on
the results, the city will continue to study how ARISA and robots like it could
be used in the future to enhance urban operations at various locations across
the metro area, according to Takayuki Saito at the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government Bureau of General Affairs.
One Tokyo resident,
25-year-old Kyosuke Tanaka, came across ARISA on his commute to work, and says
he was impressed. "The ARISA robot is a next generation robot that
responds more smoothly and quickly than I imagined. The user interface is
especially great."
Tanaka, director of the
youth sports organization Japan Sports Hub, believes ARISA will fill a key role
during the Summer Games. Since most Olympic volunteers are not familiar enough
with the city layout and subway system to effectively help lost visitors,
Tanaka points out, ARISA's artificial intelligence will fill in the gaps to
offer seamless support.
It's what the city
government is counting on, too.
The city expects ARISA,
with her humanoid features and direct dialogue capability, to help prevent
mishaps and streamline the overall urban infrastructure.
"In the future, the
Tokyo Metropolitan Government, through public-private partnerships, will
promote the use of this type of cutting-edge ICT (information communications
technology)," Saito, information manager at the bureau's communication
planning department, said in an email. He's hopeful that the technology
powering ARISA will lead to further improvements of the quality of Tokyo's
services.
Japan is the world's third
largest economy, but that position is in jeopardy, given the country's severe
worker shortage. According to a joint survey by Chuo University and Persol Research
and Consulting, Japan will face a deficit of 6.44 million laborers by 2030. To
fill in the gaps, Japan is increasingly turning to foreign workers and
exploring tech-driven solutions.
"In Tokyo, the
full-fledged declining birthrate and aging society, as well as the
intensification of international competition, require continued response,"
writes Saito. "We must appropriately respond to challenges like increased
threats to safety and security, natural disasters, and terrorism."
But for tourists, perhaps
more interested in documenting their memories than delving into the intricacies
of Japan's labor shortage, ARISA might prove more of a novelty than an
indispensable member of the workforce.
Luckily for them, ARISA is
happy to pose for selfies, too.
Tanaka passed on the
chance to take a commemorative photo with the humanoid. But if he changes his
mind, he'll get another chance in February.
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