From April, revised traffic laws will allow self-driving delivery robots to navigate streets across Japan. Read more at straitstimes.com.
FUJISAWA, Japan - “Excuse me, coming through,” a four-wheeled robot chirps as it dodges pedestrians on a street outside Tokyo, part of an experiment businesses hope will tackle labour shortages and rural isolation.
There are challenges to overcome, acknowledges Mr Hisashi Taniguchi, president of Tokyo-based robotics firm ZMP, including safety concerns. Its “DeliRo” robot aims for a charming look, featuring big, expressive eyes that can be made teary in sadness if pedestrians block its way.There is a serious purpose behind the cuteness.
“The shortage of workers in transport will be a challenge in the future,” said engineer Dai Fujikawa of electronics giant Panasonic, which is trialling delivery robots in Tokyo and nearby Fujisawa.Similar robots are already in use in countries such as the United Kingdom and China but there are concerns in Japan about everything from collisions to theft.
Panasonic says its “Hakobo” robot can judge autonomously when to turn as well as detect obstacles, such as construction and approaching bikes, and stop. Test runs so far have ranged from delivering medicine and food to Fujisawa residents to peddling snacks in Tokyo with disarming patter such as: “Another cold day, isn’t it? How about some hot drinks?““I think it’s a great idea,” passerby Naoko Kamimura said after buying cough drops from Hakobo on a Tokyo street.
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