Make Delivery Smart with Automated Delivery Robots

An automated delivery robot arrives at its destination
(Photo courtesy of Rakuten Group, Inc. and Panasonic Holdings Corporation)

Traveling on the sidewalk next to you is an automated delivery robot—
such a future is on the horizon.

In April of this year, a law was passed to partially revises the Road Traffic Act, adding a provision on the use of public roads by low-speed and small-sized automated delivery robots. Demonstration tests were conducted in recent years across Japan. How will these robots become a part of society?

They travel on the same path as pedestrians

The revised law is expected to come into effect by April 2023. Automated delivery robots that meet certain size and structure requirements will be able to travel on the same paths as pedestrians at up to 6 km/h while being controlled remotely by a human under the notification system.
With the current situation in which a rise in demand for home deliveries is coupled with a shortage of workers to make such deliveries, these robots are expected to contribute to the maintenance of last-mile delivery (the final leg of logistics when the products are delivered to the consumers).

Cost reduction is the key to widespread use

In many of the demonstration tests, each robot was controlled by one person, and sometimes by multiple people. Each company is undertaking trial and error efforts in order to improve business profitability. In order to have a large number of robots in service, it is also necessary to reduce their unit cost.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is promoting efforts toward the public implementation of these robots, such as providing support in developing and demonstrating the technology to allow a small number of people to simultaneously control several robots remotely, and promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors in formulating cost-reducing measures.

Industry-led rulemaking

[Source] Robot Delivery Association website

The Robot Delivery Association was launched in February of this year and consists of several manufacturers and service providers. The industry is also speeding up its efforts in preparation for the law coming into effect, establishing its own safety standards for traveling on public roads and developing authorization systems.
METI will also support a wide range of industry efforts to make automated delivery robots a growth industry and solve logistics problems.

Logistics Policy Planning Office, METI

[Links]

• Robot Delivery Association (in Japanese)
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Website (Automated Delivery Robot Special Page) (in Japanese)