Open Call for Robots

From 2:00 p.m. on August 7, 2020 (JST) until 1:00 p.m. on August 18, 2020 (JST)

In an epidemic of a novel coronavirus infectious disease, for the management companies which manage the area (town) where various facilities such as business facilities and commercial facilities are concentrated, is required to secure the safety of facility (security, cleaning, etc.) and to create an environment where general customers can visit with peace of mind.
In such a situation, in "HANEDA INNOVATION CITY", which is made up of high-end industrial facilities and general-purpose commercial facilities such as experience-based commercial facilities, providing safe services by reducing the risk of affection and attracting customers and visitors has become a major issue. And it is expected to solve these problems by utilizing various robots.
Therefore, in this demonstration, while supporting various individual activities such as management work and remote experience of visitors with robots, we aim to centrally manage those robots, making it safe and secure even in the event of an infectious disease epidemic. The area management is carried out to inform the new city of how to continue the activities and revitalization of the city.
This demonstration will be conducted in collaboration with the opening event of Haneda Innovation City scheduled from September 18th.

HANEDA INNOVATION CITY

Haneda Future Development Co., Ltd

For a few days from September 18th to mid-October 2020 (on rainy or stormy days, only in indoor spaces)
Implementation time: 10:00 to 16:00 (Considering night demonstrations on some dates)

Outdoor space of Haneda Innovation City (innovation corridor, footbath, and footbath sky deck, etc.) and indoor (cultural experience commercial facility, Ota Ward policy utilization space, etc.)

Haneda Innovation City, which opened on July 3, 2020, is a future-oriented city that creates and disseminates new experiences and values ​​by utilizing the two core industries of “advanced” and “culture” and the location adjacent to Haneda Airport. And we aim to disseminate the new way of town.
In order to realize the appearance of a new city, Haneda Innovation City is engaged in area management activities such as facility management, in-facility logistics, cleaning, equipment inspection/repair, security, and provision of a comfortable and safe town experience with advanced technology. Through these efforts, Haneda Innovation City will communicate the ideal way of a new city.

We are recruting robots that can support the area management activities to reduce the risk of infectious diseases and to provide safe and advanced city quality in Haneda Innovation City.
(Hereafter, an example of an assumed robot).
In addition, we will openly call for items that support robot management in a wide variety of areas.

[Example]

• Delivery&transfer robot (indoor/outdoor)
• Cleaning robot (indoor/outdoor)
• Security/Inspection robot (indoor/outdoor)
• Disaster response robot
• Personal mobility
• Guide robot (including translation)
• Communication robot
• Avatar robot
• Robots that can be used in restaurants
• Others (robots considered to be highly relevant to this demonstration)

Under the epidemic of a novel coronavirus infectious disease, the area management of Haneda Innovation City, targets to prevent contact between the person who is responsible for facility management work and the user of the city, to improve the work efficiency that has deteriorated due to infectious disease countermeasures and to improve the sense of security and comfort of users. In this demonstration, we expect the demonstration assuming such support. We also expect demonstrations that support centralized management of these individual efforts in order to promote the use of robots in town.
(Hereafter, an example of the assumption)

• Prevention of contact between users in the city and those in charge of logistics, cleaning, inspection, and security in the facility
• Things that can be moved in an environment with steps or slopes (things that can exhibit functions in various situations by moving to a wide area)
• Reducing the work load such as disinfection as a countermeasure for infectious diseases in the facility logistics, cleaning, inspection, and security work, and improving work efficiency
• Those that improve the safety of using restaurants in the town
• Achieve a comfortable experience of using the city by reducing the burden of movement and guiding around the city.
• Things that realize the experience of using the city even if you are not in the city

From 4:00 p.m. on July 28, 2020 (JST) until 1:00 p.m. on August 7, 2020 (JST)

Recently, as a result of the novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19), it is strogly demanded to keep a safe distance from other people and reduce the risk of infecsion. Furthermore, as we are facing challenges of depopulation, a super-aging society, and the intensification of international competition among urban cities, new normal is required to realize the safe, secure and sustainalbe development.
Applying robotics is expected to fight against not only infection but also the declining birthrate and the aging population by automation and operational efficiency, and to enhance global competitiveness by improving business environment.
In this demonstration, we aim for smartification to realize new normal that office workers, customers, tenant owners and facility operators can make their activities secure, efficint and rich by utilizing leading-edge technologies for contactless, non-face-to-face or remote service deliveries in the store area of the office building.

Tokyo Port City Takeshiba　Office Tower

Albero Grande Co., Ltd.
(Operating company established by Tokyu Land Corporation and Kajima Corporation for development of Tokyo Port City Takeshiba)

Mid-September, 2020 (TBC)

Lower level of Tokyo Port City Takeshiba Office Tower (Store zone, Skip terrace etc.)
*Including areas that are available by the public

Around Port City Takeshiba, it is promoted to utilize leading-edge technologies toward building a smart city which aims to energize areas and solve challenges.
Tokyo Port City Takeshiba is a large complex facility composed of a residence tower which concept is smart lifestyle and an office tower which is a smart building.
The office tower as a new model of an urban smart building is scheduled to open in September 14th, 2020. By utilizing real-time data and leading-egde technologies, it realizes the reduction of infection risk, the crowd avoidance, the improvement of convinience, the assistance of comfortable activity, the efficence of building management and the assistance of the marketing of each tenants, and it proposes the new normal work-style, facility use and management.

We are looking for robots that can realize contactless, non-face-to-face or remote service deliveries.

[Example]

• Communication robot
• Delivery robot
• Telepresense robot or remote control robot
• Robot which can check customers wearing masks and body temperture
• Robot which can remind customers to keep their safe distance from other people
• Robot which can check tenant staffs washing their hands appropriately
• Others

*Cleaning robots, autonomous mobile security robots and robot convinience store are out of the scope of this demonstration because they are already planned to be implementation.

We are assuming the demonstration that can contribute to the new normal which means to be able continue the stable social and economic activities under the expansion of infection, or to the automation and the efficiency of existing facility operations in Tokyo Port City Takeshiba Store area.
Examples:

• To realize the collaboration of people and robots in Store area
• To control infection between customers and staffs in the facility
• To reduce the labor of staffs in the new normal
• To reduce the existing facility operations
• To provide the off-site experience of facility use
• Others to contribute to leading-edge smart building

From 2:00 p.m. on July 21, 2020 (JST) until 1:00 p.m. on July 30, 2020 (JST)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government, as one of the measures against the novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19), operates medical treatment facilities for people with mild illness.
In this demonstration, we will demonstrate some robots that contributes to solving various problems of medical treatment facilities for people with mild illness.

With a business hotel in Tokyo, which has a structure close to medical treatment facilities for people with mild illness, as a field, robots perform non-face-to-face, non-contact operations such as delivery, security, and cleaning. It is envisioned that the burden on the response staff and the caregivers will be reduced, and the risk of infection will be reduced.

Also, it is an issue to provide services safely even in general hotels and welfare facilities under the epidemic of infectious diseases. Through this demonstration, we aim for a progressive demonstration that can be applied to solve problems at those facilities.

Business hotel in Tokyo

Route Inn Hotels Group

2 days (Aug27-28, 2020)

Rooms and floor corridors, lobby
*The floor will be fully reserved

The demonstration will be conducted at a business hotel in Tokyo, which has a structure similar to that of medical treatment facilities for people with mild illness in Tokyo.
It is necessary to operate the robot depending on the passage width and guest room structure in a typical Tokyo business hotel.
*The specific business hotel name will be announced after nomination.

We are looking for a wide range of things that are considered to contribute to measures against infectious diseases, new daily routines, and work, including medical treatment facilities for people with mild illness.

【Example】

• Transportation (delivery of goods to guest rooms and collection from guest rooms)
• Voice dialogue (reduction of psychological burden on guests, such as requests to facilities)
• Procedure support (use start, end, etc.)
• Watching (detection of sudden changes in the physical condition of the guest)
• Security (support for proper area management)
• Cleaning (Automatic cleaning of the lobby and accommodation floor)
• Countermeasures against infectious diseases when garbage is discharged
• Disinfection
• Others

We are assuming a demonstration that multiple robots and advanced technologies that are suitable for one of the following purposes;.

• Expected to be utilized in medical treatment facilities for novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19)
• Other non-face-to-face, non-contact operations that can be expected to be performed in general hotels and welfare facilities

For safety reasons, the floor will be reserved.

Office building in the Marunouchi, Otemachi, Yurakucho area

Mitsubishi Estate Company, Limited

Scheduled in mid December, 2019

An office building managed by the Mitsubishi Estate Company in the Marunouchi, Otemachi and Yurakucho area shall be selected for the demonstration after the robot has been decided.
An environment where visitors to the office building and employees working at the building coexist will become the demonstration field. However due to safety reasons, when robots go into and out of the elevator, there may be restrictions that people whom are relevant to the demonstration would be accepted to use the elevator.

This demonstration must aim to realize a future where multiple robots uses the elevator fully autonomously. A robot will be required to work closely with the building so that it can autonomously get onto the elevator, move to another floor and get off the elevator. The robots are expected to be useful within the office environment.

Marunouchi, Otemachi and/or Yurakucho area (TBD)

Mitsubishi Estate Company, Limited

One or several days during September to November 2019

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. has been conducting demonstration tests within the various facilities it owns and/or manages, mainly for robots to help promote the utilization of next-generation technologies. The extensive experience in conducting verifications for social implementation of robots include autonomous delivery robot, cleaning robots, security robots, etc.

The demonstration on autonomous and people-following robots are planned to be held at private properties owned or managed by Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. at areas including Marunouchi, Otemachi, and/or Yurakucho. The environment where robots will be operating are planned to be inside and outdoor public passages where the general public will be coming and going. We expect the demonstration to achieve a fully autonomous robot to deliver objects. We also expect to demonstrate a robot that follows a person as well as semi-autonomous robots which is considered to be necessary steps in realizing a completely autonomous delivery robot.

Demonstration planned for Haneda Airport

Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd.

Sometime in November 2019 (for one or several days)

Japan Airport Terminal Co.,Ltd. Has established Haneda Robotics Lab(HRL)at Haneda Airport in 2016 and has been working on conducting demonstrations for using robots to handle the various work inside an Airport. With its experience with the HRL, Haneda Airport has gained know-how in providing a demonstration site for robot utilization.
Haneda Airport is an entrance to Tokyo and is an effective location for promoting the demonstration as well as showcasing the use of robots and advanced technologies to both domestic and abroad.
In addition, a development of the nearby area, the International Terminal of Haneda Airport (development project of Zone 1 of former Haneda Airport Ground) is currently underway, planned for town opening in 2020 to become a base for leading-edge industries and transmission of "Cool Japan".

The objective of the demonstration is to verify the capabilties of a robot in decreasing the burden of a security personnel in an airport by conducting patrols and replacing stand guards, detecting suspicious objects/persons and other missions including providing guidance services. A demonstration to verify the robots' capabilities in a disaster situation (such as evacuation guidance) are also being planned for the demonstration.

Examples:

• Robots that can act as security guards and provide guidance services
• Autonomous robot that automatically detects suspicious objects using image detection, including hazardous objects, goods forbidden/restricted for import/export (especially detection of suspicious objects placed in dead angles)
• Robots equipped with an evacuation guidance function

Train Stations within Tokyo (TBD)

East Japan Railway Company

Period: one to two days in late July, 2019

The "train station" is an important field/location for conducting demonstration in the metropolitan area, supporting the every day lives of citizens not only for going to school and commuting, but for welcoming visitors from both domestic and abroad.
Japan will soon be welcoming a huge number of visitors with the hosting of the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Tokyo will be required to provide multilingual services for visitors from both Japan and from abroad, and the utilization of robots to support the station staffs are being considered to corresponding to this demand.
The train stations will be used by a large number of people and a demonstration for using AI robots to provide a useful, convenient and safe service to the public will be essential.

A demonstration of AI guidance robot which answer questions from various users of the train station are expected of the demonstration. A basic evaluation for implementing a robot in a train station within a loud noise environment shall be included in the demonstration, such as accuracy of communication using an AI system, voice recognition, utterance, etc. Please also consider integration of external API that enables communication with the users. The communication must be multilingual.
Considering that the demonstration will take place at a train station where many people will be using, the demonstration must be equipped with sufficient safety measures and must be conducted based on close collaboration with the train station chosen for the location.

TAKESHIBA Seaside Music & Dining（Takeshiba Passenger Ship Terminal)

Takeshiba Area Management Association

Period: from Wednesday, August 21, 2019 until Friday, August 23, 2019
Time:17:30 to 21:00 (To be cancelled by rain)
* A different event will be planned if all three days had been cancelled due to rain.
* Daytime demonstration to be determined.

The Takeshiba district is located near the gateway to Tokyo from both the sky and sea, and a project to develop the city as an international business hub by 2020 is underway, mainly through the "Urban Regeneration Step Up Project" by building a smart-city and smart-buildings in the area.
The TAKESHIBA Seaside Music & Dining is a major event held in the Takeshiba district from 2015 and the 5th event will be held this year The purpose of the event is regional revitalization. In addition to providing live music, dining space(beer garden) and projection mapping, a demonstration of robots will be held everywhere within the venue this year. The event expects approximately 6000 visitors and will become an opportunity to publicize robots to a large number of people.

Considering that the demonstration will be held alongside an event, a quality of entertainment is expected in the demonstration in addition to the problem-solving aspects. An example of the robots are provided below and hope that collaboration among robots could be achieved.
Example of robot collaboration: receiving orders, preparing food and beverages, waiting and cleaning

• A cooking robot and beverage server robot
• Robot receiving orders and handling checks
• Waiting robot
• Cleaning and/or security robot
• Personal mobility robot
• Communication robot
• Guidance robot
• Other robots (relevant to the event)

Office building in the Marunouchi, Otemachi, Yurakucho area

Mitsubishi Estate Company, Limited

Scheduled in mid December, 2019

An office building managed by the Mitsubishi Estate Company in the Marunouchi, Otemachi and Yurakucho area shall be selected for the demonstration after the robot has been decided.
An environment where visitors to the office building and employees working at the building coexist will become the demonstration field. However due to safety reasons, when robots go into and out of the elevator, there may be restrictions that people whom are relevant to the demonstration would be accepted to use the elevator.

This demonstration must aim to realize a future where multiple robots uses the elevator fully autonomously. A robot will be required to work closely with the building so that it can autonomously get onto the elevator, move to another floor and get off the elevator. The robots are expected to be useful within the office environment.