What is the white figure in the picture below? Of course, it’s a robot. It can talk to us, but it does not use AI. This robot is called “OriHime.” As you may know, the name appears in the story of tanabata, or the Star Festival.
　In his youth, Yoshifuji Kentaro became ill and was unable to attend school for long periods. He felt lonely because he had no friends to share his feelings with. He had no sense of belonging, and he wasn’t able to establish and maintain relationships, either. This experience led Yoshifuji to create OriHime, a genderless robot that enables people in difficult situations to connect with others.