Uber Eats will start making deliveries with robots in Japan

Uber Eats will start delivering robots in Japan. Automated couriers will start plying Tokyo’s sidewalks at the end of March this year.

This is the first time the Uber Eats automated delivery platform has left the United States.

The robots making deliveries in Tokyo will be the same “Model C” robots roaming around Miami, Florida. They are small six-wheeled vehicles produced by Cartken, a company specializing in artificial intelligence based in Oakland, California.

“Model C” uses artificial intelligence to navigate and observe its environment, preventing accidents and successfully reaching its destination. The device can also reach a human walking speed (approximately 5.4 km/h).

Operations in Tokyo will be overseen by Misubishi Electric.

Uber Eats autonomous deliveries

Uber has been experimenting with deliveries with autonomous vehicles for years. In May 2022, the company opened the project in the United States, leveraging Motional’s electric vehicle technology to make deliveries.

However, since autonomous vehicles are still prone to errors, expanding the platform is being done with great care. For example, that same year, an autonomous Uber Eats robot drove through a crime scene in Los Angeles, California.