OryLab Inc.

MISSION

At Ory Laboratory our foe is “loneliness”

Through the development of technology, we intend to solve the lack of the above freedoms, in doing this we will help create a new way of participating in the social sphere and usher in a brighter future for us all.

PRODUCT

The products from ORY Laboratory are tools that help, those who are somehow hindered in a normal social participation, to overcome such challenges. Through technology, we will convert the “not possible” to the”possible” and expand the possibilities of society itself.

OriHime

The Avatar robot OriHime, is a communication tool that was created to help realize the conventional social aspects of life and work. More notably to solve the “restrictions posed on movement” caused by hospitalization, physical disability, etc.

OriHime is equipped with a camera, microphone and a speaker, it can be operated via the Internet. Place OriHime at the place where you want to go, such as your school, your company, or at family which is far away. As the user you can look around and react to the conversation you hear, ultimately you can communicate as if “you were right there”.

Possible communication

Even though it is remotely operated, it gives the feeling of “presence” in both directions.

Examples of how and where to use OriHime

・Children who are unable to attend school due to hospitalization or physical disabilities can take part in class, have fun with classmates and thereby create a bigger social sphere.

・Workers who have difficulty commuting to and from work, due to childcare, hospitalization, physical obstacles can perform a more efficient telework scenario through OriHime.

・Participate in important events; such as your grandchild’s wedding although you are hospitalized for an operation, attend a friends birthday although you are in two different countries.

・Take part in family life although you are working abroad, living in a elder home, hospitalized, and so many more situations.

OriHime eye

OriHime eye is a communication device for severely physically handicapped patients who can only move their eyes, fingertips and have other very limited range of movements. PC controlling can be done smoothly with our simple operation system, a software which reproduces a transparent analog keyboard on the screen.

The line-of-sight input device, otherwise known as eye-tracking system, developed in cooperation with ALS patients and people with intractable diseases, helps you input characters and read them aloud using the transparent dial with your eyes. In addition to basic input dials such as hiragana and body parts, it is also possible to customize your own quick response functions and input dials. Lastly you can connect the avatar robot OriHime and operate it via the Internet.

Possible communication

Even if you have an incurable illness or a physical disability, you can communicate by just moving your eyes.

Examples of how and where to use OriHime Eye

・ Patients with severe physical disabilities have daily conversations with their families using the OriHime eye.

・ By operating the PC through the OriHime Eye device and program, you can continue to work even when you are bedridden and unable to use your hands.

・ Communicate over great distances by operating the OriHime avatar with the OriHime Eye program.

OriHime-D

OriHime-D is a 120cm tall avatar robot. Which was designed to allow people, who are working from home, to be able to carry out work that involves physical labor such as waiting on costumers, bringing things from A-B, helping people and so forth.

Like our OriHime, this new range avatar is equipped with a camera, microphone and speaker, and can be operated via the Internet as well as it has the ability to move forward, backward and turn, in the upper body OriHime-D has 14 joint motors making several movements possible. In addition to being able to grab and carry simple things, the motors allow for free motions and they are easy to operate through simple operational dials . As a result, it has become possible to perform telework for tasks that require physical activity, such as customer service at cafes, guidance in buildings, and give or receive instructions while being able to move freely around a work place. Currently, ORI Research Institute is broadly looking for companies and research institutes capable of joint business development and research in order to explore further possibilities of the OriHime-D.

Possible communication

Even people who have difficulty going out, can through OriHime-D go to work even when doing telework and thereby have a role in society.

Examples of how and where to use OriHime-D

・ People who have difficulty going out due to childcare, nursing care, or physical disabilities can work at places such as cafes through this new avatar telework system.

・ By connecting the system to our OriHime Eye program, a bedridden person can perform physical work through eye controlled remote control.

・ Provide business guidance in remote areas while actually moving around the area through OriHime-D.

About

HISTORY

The seeds for Ory Laboratory was planted in 1998 when our CEO was unable to attend school due to a weak constitution and being hospitalized on and off for 3 years. If not for this experience our CEO would not have gone to a high school with robot programming classes and later on in 2007 he joined Waseda Universities robot research program. His goal was to use technology to ease the life of people who were not able to participate in the normal social sphere, be it work or socializing. The participation in the robot research program was the start of Ory Laboratory with the birth of the first OriHime unit, which came to be thanks to meeting our CFO, she was also the ultimate driving force behind making our CEO`s vision into an actual business. Joining the team last but not least was our CIO and his skills within programming was a necessity to turning our dream of technology bridging the gap between people a reality. The first OriHime became a reality in 2010 and Ory Laboratory came into being in 2012, since then we have been working together with our Users to create better versions of OriHime, this collaboration style has also lead to the creation of other products and ultimately shaping the company and our goals.

WHY “ORIHIME”?

When it came to the naming of OriHime several ideas were thrown into the mix but ultimately the combination of our CEO`s nickname Ory, from his hobby of folding origami, and our CFO`s nickname Hime, the alternative reading of one of the kanji in her name. Put together as OriHime not only does this refer to them but it also hints at the legend of the starweaver Orihime. According to the legend the star princess Orihime fell in love with the star cow herder Hikoboshi, alternatively know as the stars Altea and Vega. They shared a great love story and spent many happy days together, but this lead Orihime to stop weaving and the Hikoboshi to not care for his herd, due to the inevitable chaos that this created, ultimately this secret love between the two became known to Orihime’s father, the star king. Firstly love between a simply cow herder and a princess was unheard of and this greatly angered her father leading him to separate the two by creating the milky way, a river of stars so broad and the stream so strong that neither of them could cross it without risking their lives. Undeniably this lead to more chaos, Orihime became so depressed that she stop weaving al together and Hikoboshi let his cows run free, in light of the chaos the king had created he allowed the young couple to meet once a year as long as the weather was sunny and they upheld their duties throughout the year. So it came to be that on the 7th day of the 7th month if the weather is good that the young couple meet and share their love. In Japan this legend is celebrated as the festival Tanabata, on this day the Japanese pray for good weather so the lovers can meet and at the same time they decorate bamboo branches with colourful pieces of paper which have wishes and hopes for the next year written on them. Our wish and hope for OriHime is that she will enable people to grow and create a social sphere that allows them to fight against the loneliness that is permeating our current world.

BOARD MEMBER

Co-founder CVO

Kentaro Yoshifuji

While in high school he participated in the invention of an equalization mechanism for electric wheelchairs, winning the Ministry of Educations, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award in 2004 at the High School Science and Technology Challenge (JSEC). The next year he represented Japan in the International Intel International Student Science and Technology Fair (ISEF) held in the United States where he got 3rd place. After studying artificial intelligence at a college of technology, he went to Waseda University School of Science and Engineering. Based on his own true experiences, he developed the notion of “OriHime”, an avatar communication robot to combat loneliness (in 2012 he was awarded the “Human Power Award” for this achievement). This lead to establishment of Ory Laboratory Co., Ltd. a company that aims to decimate the avatar robot notion to as many people that can benefit from it as possible. According to himself his own personal mission is “I want to make it so that people are able to meet the people they want to even while staying in their sickbed, and at the same time I am aiming to create a future where everyone can participate in society”, that is why I continue promoting the development of communication technology such as OriHime. By the way my hobby is Origami, the art of Japanese paper folding.

CEO

Masahiro Sasayama

Graduated from Chuo University. After passing the Certified Accountant Examination in 2009, joined Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC. In addition to auditing work mainly for financial institutions, he is also engaged in auditing work of US GAAP. Transferred to Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC in 2015, and is in charge of numerous projects in the department responsible for consulting on the roles and functions of the CFO and CFO organizations (corporate planning, finance, accounting, taxation, etc.). Joined Mercari Co., Ltd. in 2019 and engaged in company-wide budget performance management and financial analysis work in the FPA (Financial Planning Analysis) department. Joined Ory Research Institute Co., Ltd. through a common acquaintance in 2020.

Co-founder CTO

Yoshifumi Shiiba

In 2008 he started working at a production company where he belonged to the System Development Department and was responsible for WEB production. In 2012 he became an independent freelance programmer. While doing volunteer work at several Fukushima related associations and through common friends, he met our CEO Yoshifuji. This meeting resulted in an aspiration of becoming a part of the development of OriHime. After having participated in several projects and deepening the friendship with the rest of the OriHime family, he played an important key role in the establishment of the company, Ory Laboratories, becoming its CTO.

Outside Director

Kengo Ueha

Not only is he a main partner but he is also the director of Beyond Next Ventures Co., Ltd. which has seen him engaged in helping with investment activities for startups in the technology field as well as leading several fundraisers. Before his current position he held various positions in different fields such as legal affairs, compliance and IR. He has an extensive experience in venture capital operations in general. In 2015, he was a key player in the founding of Beyond Next Ventures Co., Ltd., an independent venture capital firm, specializing in startups originating from universities and research institutions, due to his performance and passion for the field he was chosen as director of the company. His duties are investment activities and supervising the overall management. Not only is he in charge of his own company but he serves as an outside officer of several of the investee companies. He graduated from the Faculty of Law, Chuo University. In 2003 he joined JAFCO.

Management advisor

Tadashi Tanimoto

TENEX Inc. / CEO

Management advisor

Yukihiro Maru

Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. / CEO
Euglena Co., Ltd. / Technical advisor

Technical advisor

Masao Suga

Gibson Brands, Inc. / CTO

Medical advisor

Tomohiro Myojyo

Edogawa Hospital / Deputy General Manager of the Oncology and Hematology Department and the Infection Control Department

COMPANY

Company Name	OryLab Inc.
Capital	100 Million Yen
Establishment	September 28th 2012
Business contents	The R&D, sales and manufacturing of communication technology

ACCESS

3-8-3 Nihonbashi Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo-to 103-0023

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CONTACT

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