Tokyo, February 18, 2022 – Today, eight companies*1 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Japan Post Co., Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Panasonic Corporation, Rakuten Group, Inc., TIER IV, Inc., TIS Inc. and ZMP Inc. – launched the Robot Delivery Association with the aim of providing greater convenience to people's lives through the use of delivery services provided by autonomous delivery robots.
As the number of home deliveries increases, the use of autonomous delivery robots represents a means of resolving delivery staff shortages and other logistics-related challenges, as well as an innovative channel for delivering greater levels of convenience to customers. This launch also coincides with recent Japanese government movement toward establishing new rules for small, slow-speed autonomous delivery robots traveling on public roads, in order to support the private sector in providing robot delivery services to society.
With these trends in mind, the association is positioning 2022 as the dawn of a new era of robot deliveries. It will capitalize on the knowledge acquired through robot delivery trials undertaken by its constituent companies, and coordinate with administrative agencies and organizations. The association will formulate safety standards and create a framework for industry certification, with the goal of operating automated delivery robots on public roads. Through these efforts, the association aims to build a foundation for convenient and safe robot delivery services which can be implemented into society in the near future.
*1 Companies listed alphabetically. Constituent companies as of February 18, 2022. The number of companies joining the association is expected to increase.
