Rakuten’s automated delivery robot on the sidewalk in Harumi, Tokyo, Wednesday
20:24 JST, November 8, 2024
Rakuten Group has launched an unmanned delivery service for food and other items using robots in Tokyo’s Harumi district and nearby areas. Customers order items from partner supermarkets and eateries via a dedicated smartphone site, and the robots deliver to 62 designated locations, including parks, offices and apartment buildings.
This is the first time Rakuten has offered an unmanned delivery service in Tokyo, and the company plans to gradually expand the areas and stores covered by the service.
The service, which started on Wednesday, covers the entire Harumi area, as well as parts of the Tsukishima and Kachidoki areas. More than 5,300 groceries and daily necessities can be ordered from nearby Starbucks Coffee, Yoshinoya and Bunka-do supermarkets. In addition to the cost of the items, a delivery fee of 100 yen will be charged.
The robots travel automatically along fixed routes, but are controlled remotely at locations such as zebra crossings.
