00:00A tour guide with a difference.
00:04Hello! Welcome! Hi!
00:07We're here for the guided tour.
00:09Weighing just a few kilos, this robot strapped to a backpack is the latest addition to Tokyo's thriving tourism scene.
00:18But it's not AI. It's being operated remotely by a real person.
00:24So let's get started our tour.
00:27Even though I'm at home, I can go out into the city like I did earlier, greet people and feel like I'm actually there.
00:36Machun has multiple sclerosis. She lost her job at a banking think tank after contracting COVID.
00:44I couldn't keep working. I used to be able to walk, but I couldn't do that anymore either.
00:51Now she's being paid to show visitors around her city.
00:56I now feel I have a role in society. I really feel that.
01:01The robots were first introduced in this cafe four years ago.
01:05I'm Hosanna. Nice to meet you.
01:07All of the servers are operated by a person with a disability working from home.
01:13The man behind it came up with the idea after illness during high school caused him to be homebound for three years.
01:21I wondered, why couldn't I have another body? If I had another healthy body, I might have been able to attend school with the other body.
01:31The scheme has recently expanded, giving the operators a chance to go outside, even if it's through a screen.
01:41Tourists enjoy the new approach too.
01:43I feel like it was really flexible, especially with having young kids and we didn't have to keep up with another tour guide.
01:50You know, you can hear the warmth through their voice and some giggles on their end.
01:54Big lineup.
01:55Big one.
01:56There's a lot of people here.
01:58Yeah, there are many, many, many people.
02:00For now, these tours are confined to the local area, but the hope is to expand to other parts of Tokyo.
02:06The big challenge, though, is Tokyo's most popular spots are very crowded, so ensuring a strong internet signal can be a challenge.
02:16Isn't that right?
02:18Yeah.
02:19All right, let's keep going.
02:22And maybe one day the program will even go international.
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