Uber Eats, Mitsubishi Electric and Cartken are partnering to launch a driverless delivery service in Japan. This collaboration means that the AI-powered service will start in March and Japan will be the second country in the world where Uber Eats will offer robotic delivery after the US. The companies continue to work on the introduction and adaptation of the delivery robot to Japanese specifications.
Uber Eats CEO Shintaro Nakagawa states that autonomous robots will be introduced in the medium and long term as a solution to labor shortages. In addition, Shoji Tanaka, Director of Mitsubishi Electric’s Development Division, emphasizes that robot delivery is an effective measure against future logistics crises and states that they continue to work in this direction.
Tanaka states that they are working on autonomous robots that will be able to deliver products indoors by connecting with the infrastructure of buildings and factories in the future, and that they will continue to develop these studies. In this way, a wider usage area and a more efficient delivery process are aimed.
Cartken Robots
The autonomous delivery robot designed by Cartken is equipped with object detection technology developed by Mitsubishi Electric. This technology enables the robot to travel at a maximum speed of 5.4 km/h on pedestrian roads. It is also specially designed so that people cannot be identified in the images taken by the robot’s camera. This also protects the privacy of passers-by.
The loading area inside the robot is insulated to ensure that food and other products are kept at the appropriate temperature during delivery. Customers will meet the robot outside to pick up their order, and will be able to receive their delivery after confirming it with their phone. This process is said to provide convenience and safety for customers.
Anjali Jindal Naik, Co-Founder and COO of Cartken, says that they will contribute to the further development of food delivery and make it easy and sustainable. This innovative approach is expected to contribute to the spread of robot delivery services in Japan.
Robot and Drone Delivery
The driverless delivery service to be launched in Japan in partnership with Uber Eats, Mitsubishi Electric and Cartken stands out as an example of technological innovation and collaboration. This service is expected to offer customers a faster, safer and more efficient delivery experience. In the future, it is hoped that similar technologies will find wider use and continue to make our lives easier. Let’s see which country will be the next stop in this regard.
