Remote operator

A remote operator is a person who supervises robots from another room, city or country. Most of the time the robots work on their own. When one drops an item or meets something it does not recognize, the operator takes over for a few minutes.

In Tokyo, drink-restocking robots in more than 300 convenience stores are watched by about 60 operators in an office in Manila. Each one watches roughly 50 robots and steps in when a machine needs help.

This matters when a company says a robot works without people. Ask how many remote operators stand behind it and how often they take over.