by Uber Eats and Mitsubishi Electric and Cartken are partnering to introduce robot deliveries in Tokyo, Japan. The self-governing robots will possess the ability to manoeuvre across the city’s sidewalks and maintain proper temperature for the food.We have always been attracted by the concept of robots performing work on our behalf.
Imagine if robots could perform a variety of tasks like housework, grocery shopping, cooking, serving, and more. This is a topic that has been extensively covered in video games and movies. But the actual world operates differently, and it appears that we are still a long way from living in a society where nearly all tasks are performed by robots. Uber Eats, though, is determined to change that.
Uber brings robot deliveries to Japan
In a partnership with Mitsubishi Electric and Cartken, Uber Eats is reportedly introducing robot deliveries to Tokyo’s streets. Next month, Uber Eats orders will be delivered to specific parts of Tokyo by autonomous sidewalk robots driven by Cartken’s Model C.
With this action, robot deliveries will be incorporated into the Uber Eats platform for the first time in Japan, an international market. Robotic assistants are nothing new in Japan, as evidenced by the years-long deployment of robot servers at its dining establishments.
How will this work
Model C robots, according to the CNN article, will be able to navigate Tokyo’s sidewalks, avoid obstructions, yield to pedestrians, and stop at traffic lights using AI and computer vision. According to reports, these robots can walk at a human’s pace. It may take longer for the robot to deliver your order and the food may become cold before it gets to you if it moves at a human pace.
This is a question that you may be pondering. In order to solve this issue, the robot will also be equipped with a cargo container that is intended to maintain food temperature while in transit.Under the cooperation, Mitsubishi Electric will oversee the operations. The partnership comes after Uber Eats and Cartken’s successful foray into autonomous robot delivery services in Miami in 2022, which they later expanded to Fairfax, Virginia, in the previous year.
Robotic delivery services, according to Mitsubishi Electric’s Senior General Manager Shoji Tanaka, are a practical solution for Japan’s looming logistical dilemma. Tanaka hinted to potential future partnerships that would involve the expansion of robot delivery services into other facilities, expressing the hope that this endeavour will open the door for a broader adoption of these services in Japan.
Uber testing new feature in India
Uber is testing new features in other countries outside Japan. It was previously revealed that Uber is testing a new function in India as well. No, it has nothing to do with robots, but it does have something to do with item delivery.
With “Store Pickup,” Uber can pick up and deliver the goods you want to purchase from nearby retailers. According to TechCrunch, the company is eager to expand its identical service, which it now offers in the US, to India as well.
