When deciding whether to deploy temi, it's natural to think, "I want to try it first." Robots are devices whose value only emerges when deployed on-site, making it difficult to gauge their effectiveness through documentation and explanations alone. Because factors like work flow, spatial structure, staff movement, and network environment vary from site to site, there's only so much information you can glean before deployment. In reality, problems are overwhelmingly only realized the moment the system is put into operation. That's why properly utilizing the proof-of-concept (PoC) process with temi makes it easier to make the quickest decision at the lowest cost. In this article, we'll clarify what mindset to adopt when conducting a PoC with temi and which steps to choose, helping companies move forward without hesitation.

1. What is PoC?

A PoC (Proof of Concept) is a process for conducting small-scale experiments before proceeding to full-scale implementation. It's commonly used when introducing technology that requires capital investment, and is particularly well-suited to robotics. The purpose of a PoC is to test it on a small scale on-site, rather than immediately purchasing expensive equipment, to determine where it will be truly effective and what issues may arise. Due to its characteristics, temi's value lies largely in factors that cannot be measured through documentation, such as its presence, compatibility with traffic flow, ease of hearing announcements, visibility and smoothness of remote calls, and compatibility with the network. Even with the same robot, impressions and results can vary significantly depending on the site, so a PoC serves as the "shortest route to avoiding mismatches."

2. Why is PoC the “shortest route” to deciding to adopt temi?

When it comes to introducing robots, desk-based materials tend to provide insufficient information for decision-making. Temi's value is determined by the experience, and there are many areas where it's difficult to find answers just by considering it in a conference room. For example, how well can announcements be heard? Do the field angle and sound quality of remote calls suit your company's needs? How do staff and visitors react? Can it move around during busy times? How autonomously can it navigate? Is it stable in a Wi-Fi environment? Does it need to be connected to a SIM card? These are things you can't know until you actually try it out. By trying it out in the field, you can immediately clarify the situations in which it's useful and those in which it's difficult, and get a sense of what it will look like after full implementation. In that sense, a PoC isn't a detour; rather, it's the most reliable and quickest route to full implementation.

Main verification items
- Possibility of movement (steps, slopes, map range)
- Ease of hearing announcements
・Sound quality and angle of view of remote calls
・Reactions of customers and staff
- Ease of movement during crowded times
・Wi-Fi compatibility
・Match with the guide flow
・Does it fit into your business flow?

3. First, determine what stage your company is at

Temi's PoC does not require uniform verification. The required depth and duration will vary greatly depending on the company's situation and objectives. First, it is important to determine what stage your company is at. Broadly speaking, they can be categorized into three types: A, B, and C.

A type
・My purpose is unclear, but I want to try it out
・"Clarifying the purpose through PoC" is itself an achievement
・We are considering using robots as part of our DX promotion.
The problem has not been fully articulated
I still don't understand what temi can do.

B type
・I can see the shape of the problem, but I'm not sure about the effectiveness
・It seems like it could be used for guidance, reception, patrols, etc.
・I'm worried about whether it will really be useful and whether the site will be able to use it properly.
・I want information for internal presentations and investment decisions
・"Verifying effectiveness and understanding bottlenecks" will be the outcome

C type
・Prerequisite for implementation. We want to solidify the final form of production operation.
- Consider introducing multiple units
・I want to establish operational rules and internal systems
・We want to get closer to production specifications, including AI dialogue (iPresence-Agent)
・"PoC for real-world use" becomes a success

By recognizing which type your company belongs to, the length, depth, and investment amount of your PoC will naturally be determined.

4. Recommended PoC period for each company type

Here we show the optimal PoC period for each of the three types. A longer PoC is not necessarily better; it is important to set a period that is sufficient for your purpose. To obtain the most information at the lowest cost, temi recommends the following periods:

A one-week PoC is appropriate for Type A. This allows you to gather the information you need to make an initial decision in a short space of time, such as the robot's presence, the reactions of staff and visitors, the field of view and sound quality of remote calls, and how announcements are heard. This one-week period is significant when you want to understand whether temi will fit into your company. If you want to go a step further, a one-month PoC is appropriate. You can get a more concrete picture of how it will work by actually moving around the site, determining how it works, how well it works with Wi-Fi, whether a SIM card is required, and which tasks it can be combined with. Many of the issues that can only be seen when it's deployed on-site can be identified during this period.
・Confirm impression, presence, and basic functions
・Actual operation/Check compatibility with on-site traffic flow

A three-month PoC is suitable for Type B. This allows for the effectiveness of guidance, reception, patrol support, and AI-assisted guidance to be verified in a real environment, providing the information necessary for investment decisions, such as changes in staff workload, visitor reactions, and quantitative results. This is the best-balanced period for getting a feel for the actual implementation.
・Verifying effectiveness in a real environment
・Guidance (automated guidance/individual guidance)
・Reception (first-time visitor response)
- Patrol (remote monitoring/business support)
・Use in conjunction with AI dialogue (iPresence-Agent)
・Changes in staff burden
・Customer reactions
・Quantitative data (effects that can be quantified)

For Type C, we recommend a six-month PoC. In an environment very similar to production operation, you can conduct verification to eliminate post-implementation risks, such as creating rules for multiple device operation, preparing operation manuals, optimizing integration with AI dialogue, and making adjustments for daily operations. This period is the most reliable for the stage at which you are concerned about the system's establishment after implementation.
・Integrate into daily work/final confirmation of implementation
・Operation handover between multiple staff members
・Establish rules for operating multiple units
・Preparation of operation manuals necessary for establishment
・Optimization of AI dialogue
・KPI simulation after implementation

5. PoC support service (optional)

The results of a PoC depend greatly on design and analytical capabilities. Simply placing a robot on-site will not yield substantive results. By properly organizing objectives, setting verification perspectives, and designing data collection methods, a PoC can become a powerful tool for gathering information for decision-making. iPresence provides support as needed, from planning to compiling the final report. We support companies where the results of a PoC tend to be unclear, so that they can make concrete and realistic decisions.

Contents of support available (partial support is also possible)
・PoC planning (organizing objectives, issues, and verification points)
・Support for creating proposals/PoC plans
・Lectures for on-site staff (multiple times)
・Operational advice during the verification period
・Design of effectiveness measurement (KPI) (qualitative/quantitative)
・Visualization of points for improvement
・Support for preparing the final report