- ChiCaRo is a remote-controlled robot created to raise children with distant family members
- Remote control allows physical play with children, keeping them entertained
- Currently developing a system to connect with pediatricians and childcare providers and an AI cameraman function.
'I just need someone to take care of my child for 10 minutes!' . Many mothers and fathers may have felt this way when they were busy with household chores. As the nuclear family continues to grow and the number of families with both working parents increases, the reality is that it is difficult for both parents to take care of their children all the time. The ChiCaRo remote child-rearing robot introduced here is an item that solves this problem. ChiCaRo allows relatives and family members to take care of the child through a screen, and also provides reports on the child's developmental level. We interviewed Ms. Atsuko Oku, president of ChiCaRo Corporation (honorifics omitted), the developer of ChiCaRo, which won the Excellence Award in the "BabyTech® Award Japan 2021 Research and Report Category," about the appeal and features of ChiCaRo, its secret development story, and future plans. The company is a leading manufacturer and distributor of food and beverage products in Japan and abroad.
(We spoke to...)
ChiCaRo Corporation
Ms. Atsuko Oku, President and Representative Director
Using technology to create a society where everyone can raise children.
Editorial:Thank you very much for your time today. To begin with, could you tell us about the concept of ChiCaRo?
Back:ChiCaRo is a remote childcare support robot for children 0-3 years old, allowing distant relatives and friends to provide remote childcare support at times when parents are unavailable. The robot is also equipped with a developmental support system that helps children develop various abilities, such as speaking skills, by playing with ChiCaRo, and also provides a report on their current developmental status.
Editorial:There are many times in child-rearing when you need someone to watch over you because you are a little out of your depth. It is very reassuring to know that relatives who live far away from you can come to you at the touch of a button!
Back:As we learned through our study when developing ChiCaRo, in the long history of mankind, child-rearing was originally done not only by parents, but also by many other people. Nowadays, however, the nuclear family has become more and more isolated, and suddenly parents and single parents have to take care of their children alone. This is a natural state of great stress.
Editorial:I see. The world has a tendency to take it for granted that parents take care of their own children, but biologically speaking, the current situation is more peculiar, I think there are other ways to communicate with distant relatives. Why did you choose to use a robot?
Back:We believe that "the robot in between increases love". Children, who move around freely, cannot concentrate on the tablet screen all the time. By having a robot between the children that is close to the shape of a human being, that can follow the children when they move, and that can play house with the children using its hand function, the children will not get bored, and they will be able to hug the robot and pat its head.
Editorial:I see, so it has that effect.
Back:For children, robots are not objects or pets, but special beings. One user commented, "Since I started playing with ChiCaRo, I treat other toys more gently.
Editorial:Thank you very much. Can you tell us about the other features of ChiCaRo that you mentioned earlier?
Back:Many of these are currently under development, but they include a function in which ChiCaRo analyzes the child's characteristics based on his or her behavior, and ChiCaRo itself selects recommended play activities to develop the child's abilities and reports on various capabilities.
Editorial:What abilities of the child are being analyzed?
Back:At this stage, the system measures four major abilities, including "speaking," "listening," "judging situations," and "understanding. For example, for the "ability to comprehend," the system recommends picture books, drawing quizzes, and other related games from among more than 200 types of games onboard the device.
Editorial:This is a great feature for moms and dads raising children, especially those raising their first child!
Back:Other features currently under development include a remote sitting function that allows users to connect with childcare professionals and pediatricians, and an AI camera mode in which ChiCaRo's built-in AI takes pictures of your child's adorable facial expressions.
Editorial:I look forward to seeing ChiCaRo in the future!
Packed with what a working mother really needs.
Editorial:From here, I would like to talk about the background of the development of ChiCaRo. What was the impetus for the development of ChiCaRo?
Back:ChiCaRo was born in a laboratory at the University of Electro-Communications. A woman named Abe, a new mother researcher working there, wondered what she could do to take advantage of the theme of "interaction between robots and children," which is her own field of research.
I am sure there are many aspects of my work that are not well known, but being a researcher is a really tough job. You have to work day and night, even on weekends, to conduct research and publish papers. In such an environment, I think it was really hard to raise a child with no one to rely on and not knowing what is right and left.
Editorial:It sounds mentally and physically demanding.
Back:One day, I told my professor about my concerns, and he said, "Then let's make a robot that can solve them," which led to the development of ChiCaRo.
As a working mother, I packed it with features that I thought were really necessary and issued a press release in 2019. At first she wasn't sure if it would sell, but after she announced ChiCaRo, she received inquiries every day. Among the messages we received were many concerns from mothers, such as "I feel like I can't be myself (because I'm so busy raising my child)" and "I can't afford to be, so I yell at my own child and regret it later. You also received many applications from grandparents and from fathers.
Editorial:It is evident that they want to be involved in child-rearing and reduce the burden on mothers, even if they live or work far away from their children.
Back:As I mentioned earlier, humans are biological creatures that raise their children in groups. Raising children today is like asking them to live in water. After World War II, women entered the workforce, but at that time, the question of "Who is going to do what women used to do? I feel that the question, "Who is going to do what women used to do?
Editorial:Can you tell us about the points you tried to develop?
Back:The robot is designed to be shock-resistant and difficult to fall over so that small children, who do not know how to use force, can push or hit it. We also designed the robot with a rounded form and gentle colors so that it would not look out of place in the same room with a child.
Editorial:In some of the photos on the website, the robot is dressed in clothes. I thought that this kind of "blank space" for creativity was one of the charms of ChiCaRo.
Back:Yes, it is. It's not perfect, so there, "Is it cold (without clothes)?" And I think there is a part that I can think about.
Editorial:Thank you very much, can you tell us what were some of the difficulties in creating ChiCaRo?
Back:This is the robot development part. Robot building is often compared to "mixed martial arts" because of the wide variety of specialized skills required and the need for several different types of specialists to cover various fields, including the robot itself, applications, and servers.
Editorial:There are so many different functions packed into ChiCaRo, aren't there? Can you tell us about when you found it challenging?
Back:When I receive letters of joy from users, I feel glad that I am doing this. When I see messages like, "My problems have been solved," or "I can now enjoy spending time with my children as a family," I feel glad that we are doing this.
We want to make child-rearing "everyone's thing" and contribute to the happiness of families.
Editorial:Thank you very much for your time today. Finally, could you tell us about your future goals?
Back:Through ChiCaRo, we hope to contribute to the creation of a society where everyone can raise children in a new way and contribute to the happiness of families.
Editorial:It seems that having more adults involved in child-rearing will have a positive impact on both children and their parents.
Back:One of the factors that increase children's self-esteem and happiness is the experience of feeling that they are loved, and we believe that the experience of receiving love from many adults through ChiCaRo will reduce the burden on parents and also lead to children's happiness.
Editorial:I'm sure everyone involved will be happy. Thank you very much for your time today!
After the interview
One of the most impressive points he made was that "people are not creatures who originally raised their children by their parents alone (or mothers alone). With this perspective, the causes and remedies for the current state of child-rearing and the many problems associated with it may become clearer. Perhaps one of the charms of ChiCaRo is that it bridges the gap between biological mechanisms and reality. It seems that various functions will be released in the future, so don't miss them either!
ChiCaRo Official Website
https://www.chicaro.co.jp/
(ENDS)
Interviewing and writing:Misako Tateoka
From an IT company, she switched careers to the editing and publishing industry. Currently, I work as a freelance editor and writer, editing and writing in a wide range of fields such as travel, gourmet, and social.
What is important is "to convey valuable information to readers in an interesting and easy-to-understand manner.
He has been involved in the production of numerous magazines, including TRANSIT, FRaU, and Metro Minute.
BabyTech is always stimulated by all the services and products that I wish I had when I was a child! I am always inspired by the things I encounter at BabyTech. My hobbies are traveling, cooking, and aikido.
