Clarification of division of roles is the key to the utilization of robots in smart cities PARCO, Mitsubishi Estate, Connected Robotics talk

The "6th Robodex Robot Development and Utilization Exhibition" was held at Tokyo Big Sight from January 25th to January 27th. In addition to the exhibition, lectures were also given at the venue. Here, I would like to report three lectures in the field of service robots.

Table of Contents ・ Definition of division of roles and trial and error are required. Utilization of robots in PARCO ・ Accumulate practical utilization know-how and create use cases Mitsubishi Estate ・ Innovate food industry with the latest robotics Connected Robotics Inc. PARCO Executive Officer CRM Promotion Department Mr. Naotaka Hayashi, in charge of Digital Promotion Department

First, I will report on "PARCO's use of robots in commercial facilities" by Mr. Naotaka Hayashi, Executive Officer, CRM Promotion Department and Digital Promotion Department, PARCO Co., Ltd. Mr. Hayashi said that he is trying to utilize robots from the perspective of "the role required of shopping centers in the after-digital era." In the future, he thinks that the time will come when all information (data) will be integrated, AI will improve the quality of customer service, customer service will be possible on the Internet, and even the experience can be digitized by Metaverse. It is said that there is. In the online era, customer behavior data will also be easier to use. The role of shopping centers will also change. It is already an era where you can shop on your smartphone at any time, but Mr. Hayashi said that the future shopping center (SC) needs to be transformed into a "Serendipity Center", that is, a place that creates happiness through chance encounters. Robots are positioned as one of the problem-solving technologies for that purpose. The use of PARCO's service robots started with the use of "Pepper" in 2015. We also responded to multilingual customers and collaborated with other robots (NAVii from Fellow Robots) at Sendai Parco 2 in 2016. In addition, Ikebukuro Parco has also promoted customer service at information counters using androids from Osaka University and Ishiguro Lab. In the experiment at that time, after many customers talked to him, he discovered that he was a robot. It turned out that many of the visitors did not see the face of the receptionist at the information counter. Mr. Hayashi said, "It was an experiment with a lot of learning," he said. In 2017, in addition to Ikebukuro Parco, in Ueno, in cooperation with Nippon Unisys and others, in addition to security and guidance, after the store closed, we conducted an inventory experiment using RFID. *movie

But robots are expensive and can't be placed on any floor. So he also tried to put a lot of "Amazon Alexa" in the building so that he could answer about 600 patterns of questions. At this time, he said, "The toilet is here." "I was angry at what it means to go to the toilet and expose it loudly." So he changed it to "Here is the place you are looking for." At this time, visualization of utterance data and accumulation of data such as what time, where, what question was asked, and what was answered. Turned PDCA. He said that the good thing about digital is that it allows you to accumulate data through digitalization and use it for improvement at high speed. When it comes to inventory, I've found that there are places where I can't, but what's really hard is his backspace, and he said he needs a division of roles. He said, "I learned that it is important to create an environment that brings out what a robot can do to utilize a robot," including the possibility of changing the way the store is built. In 2019 he introduced "temi" to Shibuya Parco. This is a robot that can make video calls with people at the information counter as needed, but if the manned counter is crowded, people cannot handle it. Securing human resources is important. Shinsaibashi Parco will open in 2020. We conducted a remote customer service experiment using the communication robot "Sota". He felt that this style might become the standard in large commercial facilities. In other words, the call center does not necessarily have to be on site. The operator at the call center thinks that it will be a style of serving customers at multiple locations. In addition, we are also testing security robots and cleaning robots. To promote the spread of service robots, "At this stage, it is necessary for robots to overcome a number of hurdles in order to play an active role autonomously in commercial facilities at the same level as humans. It is necessary to divide roles. It is necessary to recognize what is happening and design a service that defines what to help. Then, by repeating trials and errors while gradually preparing an environment that makes it easy to operate the robot and a robot-friendly environment, Eventually, robots like Doraemon may appear. "

Kiyoshi Ota, General Manager, DX Promotion Department, Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.

Kiyoshi Ota, General Manager of DX Promotion Department, Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., introduced efforts related to security, cleaning, and transport robots as "roles and issues that robots play toward the realization of smart cities." Mitsubishi Estate is currently working toward the realization of a sustainable society as the "Long-term Management Plan 2030". Mitsubishi Estate has abundant physical contacts on personal life leads. In future smart cities, it will be necessary to connect end-user behavior histories to make the city easier to use, safer, more comfortable, and more efficient. It will be important in the future to be a robot-friendly city, that is, a city that is easy for robots to utilize. The important thing is, after all, "defining what humans do and what robots do." Among them, Mitsubishi Estate is trying to become a hub that connects robots. "TOKYO TORCH" will be completed in 2027, but security robots and catering robots have been introduced in the "Tokiwabashi Tower" that opened in July 2021. There are about 18 security robots and 65 cleaning robots using Softbank's "Whiz" nationwide. For transportation, Effidence's "EffiBOT", Panasonic's automatic traveling robot "X-Area Robo", and Beijing Yunji Technology's "YUNJI DELI", which is an agency of NEC Networks & System Integration Corp., are used. In Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, we are demonstrating driving on public roads and accumulating know-how such as social rule making and socializing. It is said that there is no choice but to repeat the experiment in order to make it "oneself". *movie

Regarding future issues, I mentioned three points. The first point is "accumulation of experience value of robot utilization is still important". Robots require experience to bring out their performance, and the introduction hurdles are high. There are many restrictions on the robot side, such as location, usage, and usage, and it is difficult to obtain cost benefits and economies of scale. Even with just one transfer, the transfer capacity and security performance do not match well, and he feels that the variation of the robot is still insufficient. The second is "the range of utilization is limited." Coordination with elevators and security zones is essential, but it is difficult to make it possible to pass through one place at a time. Doors and steps are not premised on the operation of robots, and a "robot-friendly" environment is required. From a business point of view, at the moment, the functions that humans used to do, such as cleaning and security, have been replaced with robots, and they have not been redefined as a function of building management. The third is "rule making for social implementation". It is a matter of establishing and relaxing monitoring rules and self-responsibility. Robots can no longer ride in elevators with them, and they need safety guards to drive outdoors. It takes familiarity with users, management companies, and society as a whole. In the future, Mitsubishi Estate will verify food delivery services, etc., and concretely verify how much needs there are and what hurdles robots have to get to the office, including indoors and outdoors. Then, we will verify the optimization of transportation capacity, order processing, and interlocking of transportation routes. *movie

For example, even if there is a need for lunch delivery at noon, it is obvious that it will be difficult if the elevator is taken by one robot at lunch time, and it is necessary to verify what kind of route is okay. In the first place, it is inefficient if there is only one case. It is more convenient to carry a large number of bento boxes at one time. He wants to give use cases, including how to use it and create needs. Elevator cooperation will be verified at Otemachi Grand Cube and Otemachi Park Building. It is said that it is thinking that elevators of any company and robots of any manufacturer can pass in the same way. We will verify not only wireless cooperation but also the mechanism that the robot physically presses a button, and explore how much it can actually move. In addition, although the uses are now divided into cleaning, security, and transportation, he is also thinking about mixing various uses and mixing them well. Mr. Ota said, "I think it is important to develop with the manufacturer and create use cases." *movie

Regarding rule making, we are conducting demonstration experiments so that robots can move without mapping by themselves, such as conducting a delivery robot demonstration using an outdoor 3D city model and indoor BIM on Marunouchi Naka-dori. When robots can move freely indoors and outdoors, the range of utilization will expand. He summarized that he thinks that by working together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, it may contribute to the formation of a "robofure" society. *movie

Tetsuya Sawato, Representative Director, Connected Robotics Inc.

Tetsuya Sawato, CEO of Connected Robotics Inc., a startup that develops "takoyaki robots" and "station soba robots," introduced the company's past and present. Connected Robotics was established in 2014. At first, he was developing an industrial robot controller. Since 2017, we have been pivoting to develop robots for eating and drinking. The mission is to "innovate the food industry with robotics." It used to be "cooking", but recently it has become more widespread. We aim to improve the working environment in the food industry, solve labor shortages, achieve high productivity, and enjoy delicious and healthy food at all times. *movie

According to Mr. Sawato, "It is not cooking or processing that is difficult to automate, but the connection between them." Handling of ingredients and inspection. Connected Robotics is also focusing on cooperation with peripheral devices, and is trying to add value comprehensively by cooperation with ticket vending machines and boilers. Connected Robotics is a software company that basically doesn't develop hardware. So far, we have developed "takoyaki", "soba" and "soft serve" robots, as well as dishwasher robots and hot snack robots. *movie

"I think this year will be a leap year," he said. Soba robots are in the "Soba Ichi Kaihin Makuhari store", but there are plans to enter dozens of them in stores in central Tokyo in the future. *movie

We are also developing a robot that uses machine learning to inspect food and remove defective products. It is possible to inspect 8 kg of granular work in one hour, PoC has already been completed, and operation will start in February. The French fries robot was manufactured in about three months in partnership with partner Taniko and operated at an experimental store in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture. *movie

We are also developing an automatic dishwasher robot. We are developing a straight type with Hoshizaki and an L-shaped type with Taniko. *movie

At Connected Robotics, restaurants focus on staple foods, and food factories focus on serving and inspecting. Although it is a food tech company that is not very noticeable in Japan, there are many overseas. There is also a trend to make dedicated devices instead of arm robots. Mr. Sawato said, "In the end, both the arm type and the dedicated type may survive." "The strategy is to make the cooking skill a platform. We are trying to make the skill downloadable to the robot and use it." I have. " The company's business model is RaaS, and it will continue to update, not just maintenance. In the future, in particular, in addition to buckwheat robots, the boiler ecosystem (BES) that can be used independently, that is, the "power saving system for electric boiled noodle machines," is about to be introduced to the market in units of hundreds. *movie

In addition, the remote AI technology "REMOTE-OJT" is under development, and it is said that a person creates teacher data by clicking and touching the target on the PC screen. Regarding food serving robots, it is included in the food TC of the "Robofle business" of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and it is planned to deliver four to Maxvalu Tokai in March. Finally, Mr. Sawato will expand sales of French fries, hamburgers, frozen noodle boil, boiled noodle energy saving system, serving robot, etc. in Japan by 2023, and from 2024, pizza, sushi, bowl robot, rice balls, bowls, food input system. He talked about his goal of developing such products and expanding into the world.

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