Recent developments have confirmed that Uber Eats Japan is launching Cartken sidewalk robots for delivery. The strategic development is set to boost the effectiveness of Uber Eats in service delivery.
Uber is launching a service in Japan that will utilize self-driving sidewalk robots to serve food to customers. Partnerships with Mitsubishi Electric and the autonomous robotics startup Cartken have been secured to ensure that this becomes a reality.
The firms declared that by the end of March, a limited area of Tokyo will host the service accessible via the Uber Eats app. When the debut date approaches, an Uber representative said, the operation hours will be revealed.
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Together, Uber and Cartken, a 2019 startup created by the former Google developers behind the brief-lived Bookbot, already run delivery services in Miami and Fairfax, Virginia. Their latest arrangement is their first venture outside of the US. Mitsubishi Electric, a business that will oversee operations in Tokyo, is also brought in.
Cartken sidewalk robots for delivery details
The delivery service will be handled by Model C, Cartken’s autonomous sidewalk robot.
The robot moves at a speed of roughly 3.3 miles per hour and is equipped with an insulated 27-liter payload bag. The robot is equipped with a wealth of sensors, including cameras and sophisticated algorithms, which enable it to sense, identify, and eventually navigate its surroundings. Additionally, Cartken includes a mechanism that lets employees see and control the robot from a distance if necessary.
According to an Uber representative, Mitsubishi Electric staff members who have received training in Cartken’s remote guidance system will utilize the teleoperations interface.
Robot delivery, according to Shoji Tanaka, senior general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced application development center, is a practical solution to the logistical dilemma, which is expected to worsen in the future.
“We hope that this newly announced initiative will serve as a catalyst for the spread of robot delivery services in Japan,” Tanaka said. “In the future, we will work with buildings and factory infrastructure, which is one of our strengths, so autonomous robots will be able to deliver inside various facilities.”
