Customers at a new cafe in Tokyo give their orders, not to a person, but to a robot.
The devices are controlled remotely by people who have difficulty going outside due to disabilities.
The so-called "avatar robot" a self-moving robot about 120 centimetres tall, carries drinks to customers seated at tables.
Their human operators are at home, and take turns with the waiter duties.
They move the robots with their fingers, chins, or other body parts.
It's not the first cafe of its kind, but it's the first to be open continuously.
Tokyo-based Ory Laboratories developed the robots.
The company's chief executive, Yoshifuji Kentaro, says an avatar-robot cafe that's always open is a dream come true. He says they wanted to offer more choices for people to work, even if they can no longer move their bodies.
