Rakuten launches robot delivery service

Rakuten Group, Inc. has launched a full-scale robot delivery service in the area around Tsukuba Station in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, following a demonstration experiment.

Previously, the service was provided only on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the day, but will now be a daily service and will also be available at night and when it rains.

Since May, Rakuten has been o ering a service in which automated delivery robots deliver products from its partner supermarket Seiyu Co. to approximately 1,000 households in condominiums and houses near Tsukuba Station. e company determined that there was su cient demand for the service a er many users requested an expansion of the days of the week and the areas covered.

e delivery destinations will include nearby o ces as well as parks and plazas that users frequent. In conjunction with the full-scale rollout of the service, Starbucks Co ee Japan Ltd.’s products will also be handled. (Nov. 23)

The Yomiuri Shimbun Rakuten automated delivery robots are seen on the streets of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Nov. 18.