Tokyo, October 4, 2017 – Rakuten, Inc. today announced that Rakuten Drone*1 received a Good Design Award 2017 from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP).
The Good Design Award has served as Japan’s only design evaluation and commendation system since it was launched by the Government of Japan in 1957 to identify and recognize products with particularly good design. Established with the aim of enhancing Japan’s industry and lifestyle through design, the Good Design Award has become one of the most recognized design awards in the world.
Rakuten Drone independently developed the dedicated hardware and software for a drone-based delivery solution, becoming the first company to provide such a service to consumers in May 2016. After customers place their orders via a dedicated shopping app on their smartphones, products are loaded into a delivery box and delivered using a specially designed drone named “Tenku.” The service’s most remarkable feature is its fully automated airborne delivery, which can be carried out safely with a simple operation through the “drone dashboard” on a dedicated tablet.
Going forward, Rakuten, Inc. will continue striving to promote initiatives for resolving the challenges faced by regional communities and create a more convenient and vibrant society through the development of drone delivery services.
*1 Rakuten Drone was originally named “Sora Raku” at launch. The service was renamed in July 2017 as part of the unification of Rakuten’s brands.
