Some 20,000 humans have been authenticated via 'Orb' devices at relaxation salons in Japan, that's according to a NASDAQ-quoted company called MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies.
The cumulative number of Proof of Human authentications using the World ID device “Orb” at Re.Ra.Ku relaxation salons had doubled to 20,000 by late December, MEDIROM said in an announcement.
MEDIROM noted that it is a participant in World, a Proof of Human authentication protocol co-founded by Sam Altman and Alex Blania, and said that it had seen the increase from 10,000 to 20,000 humans in around two months.
Altman co-founded World, which is developing anonymised digital IDs for authentic humans, describes its platform as "a priority lane for humans online", and aims to be the 'largest, most inclusive network of real humans' in the age of AI.
In Japan, Re.Ra.Ku, a network of 300 wellness and relaxation salons, working alongside MEDIROM, ran a special event in December in which it offered free shoulder massages for individuals waiting to verify their humanness.
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"We believe this natural pathway from real-world experience to technology led to the rapid doubling of authentication numbers in a short period. We will continue advancing initiatives that connect physical and mental care with social infrastructure," MEDIROM (which trades on NASDAQ under the ticker MRM) said in an announcement.
Re.Ra.Ku is one of the brands operated by MEDIROM, alongside 'health-tech' and wearable devices.
The Recap
- Orb authentications at Re.Ra.Ku surpassed twenty thousand verifications.
- The total doubled from ten thousand in about two months.
- Company plans to install Orbs in two hundred salons.