“Dividing Oneself to Belong”: Exploring Telepresence Robots for Social and Labour Market Inclusion

Abstract. Bunshin, a Japanese term meaning “to divide oneself,” encapsulates the
guiding philosophy of a novel employment initiative launched by a Danish municipality in 2025 and inspired by Japan’s Dawn Café. The project explores how robotic telepresence can enable labour market participation for individuals excluded from conventional employment due to physical disabilities or mental health challenges.
Drawing on the metaphor of self-division through robotic embodiment, citizens
remotely operate café robots from their homes to greet customers, take and serve orders, and engage in social interaction. In this configuration, robots function as embodied extensions of their operators, creating a shared physical–social space that enables presence and participation despite bodily absence.
Exclusion from the labour market is closely associated with reduced wellbeing, self-esteem, and social participation, particularly among vulnerable populations. The paper explores if assistive and social robotic technologies can offer
new opportunities for inclusive and socially sustainable forms of work. While prior research has demonstrated the potential of telepresence robotics to extend social participation across educational, healthcare, and workplace contexts, empirical knowledge of their psychological and social effects in real-world welfare settings remains limited.
Through an empirical analysis of the Bunshin initiative, this paper examines
how robotic telepresence affects participants’ well-being, sense of inclusion, and
experiences of meaningful participation. The study contributes to Human–Robot
Interaction (HRI) research by situating welfare-oriented telepresence robotics at
the intersection of digitalization, citizen participation, ethical design, and welfare
innovation