Uber Eats to begin self-driving robot deliveries in Japan

Uber announced Tuesday that its Uber Eats business is partnering with Mitsubishi Electric and delivery robotics company Cartken to begin transporting food using self-driving robots in Japan.

The sidewalk robot deliveries are set to start by the end of March in a select area of Tokyo, according to the companies. Uber Eats said Japan will be the first international site of its autonomous delivery operations, which have so far been limited to a few cities in the United States.

Cartken was founded in Oakland, California, in 2019 by former Google employees. Its "Model C" robot, which uses artificial intelligence to navigate its surroundings and can approach human walking speed, will make up the fleet of robot couriers in Japan. Mitsubishi Electric will supervise the operations, the companies said.

"This collaboration signifies a leap forward in redefining the future of food delivery, making it more accessible and sustainable to consumers in Japan," Anjali Jindal Naik, Cartken's cofounder and COO, said in a statement.

The news out of Japan marks the latest joint effort by Uber Eats and Cartken, which already offer sidewalk robot deliveries in Miami and in Fairfax, Virginia. 

Uber Eats has also partnered with robotics companies Motional, Nuro and Serve Robotics to pilot autonomous deliveries in other U.S. cities.