Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

For the first time, Japan’s 7-Eleven has begun testing autonomous delivery robots in a Tokyo suburb, aiming to evaluate their potential in a country grappling with an aging population and chronic labor shortages, Azernews reports.

To pave the way for this initiative, Japan revised its traffic laws in 2023, allowing delivery robots to operate on public streets. Other companies, such as Panasonic, have also been experimenting with robotic delivery solutions to address growing logistical challenges.

7-Eleven’s pilot program, launched on Monday, features a wheeled, cart-shaped robot co-developed by leading automaker Suzuki and Tokyo-based robotics startup Lomby. The robot is currently serving around 10,000 households in western Tokyo, particularly in the Minami-Osawa neighborhood—a hilly area with many slopes and stairs, making traditional deliveries difficult for elderly residents.

While 7-Eleven has previously tested robots controlled remotely by human operators, this marks its first public trial of fully autonomous machines navigating city pavements.

The process is simple: customers place orders through a smartphone app, which dispatches the robot to the selected home address at a speed of six kilometers per hour (about 4 mph). Equipped with sensors, the robot can recognize traffic lights and road signs, and while it operates autonomously, it remains under remote human supervision in case of emergencies.

“If, for example, the robot is surrounded by people and can’t proceed, an operator can use its microphone to politely ask pedestrians to let it pass,” a spokesperson for Seven & i Holdings, 7-Eleven’s parent company, told AFP.

The pilot is scheduled to run until February 2026 and aims to complement the company's current delivery system, which still relies heavily on human drivers.

“In five years, the labor shortage may become even more severe,” the spokesperson added. “There is no guarantee that human deliveries will still be viable by then. We must prepare now.”

Japan is one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world, with more than 29% of its population aged 65 or older. Innovations like autonomous delivery robots could be a key solution to not only sustaining daily services but also enhancing independent living for seniors in areas with challenging terrain. Interestingly, 7-Eleven conducted a similar trial in Los Angeles in 2023, showcasing its broader ambition to integrate robotics into global logistics.