Hideki Shimobayashi

In aging societies, social isolation among the elderly and hospitalized patients has become a critical issue. While maintaining social connections is vital for mental health and quality of life, physical limitations or health conditions often make it difficult for these individuals to go out and connect with others.

To address this, we developed "d8r," a telexistence avatar robot consisting of a head and hands. It captures the user's movements in real-time via a VR headset and moves accordingly. By simply wearing the device, users can embody the avatar and virtually attend events—such as family weddings, sports days, or business meetings—from anywhere, including a hospital bed.