Toyota Conic Pro, a Toyota Group company, announced on October 30th that it will conduct a public road demonstration experiment using two types of autonomous delivery robots in a mountainous area of Okayama Prefecture.
This project was selected as a measure to address the needs of people who have difficulty shopping, under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "FY6 Supplementary Budget: Demonstration Project for Logistics Efficiency Improvement to Support Sustainable Logistics."
<"SORA CAGO," a low-speed, compact robot manufactured by Toyota Motor Corporation>
The demonstration experiment will be conducted on November 19th near the "Dondon Market" in Shōō-chō, Katsuta-gun, Okayama Prefecture. Two types of automated delivery robots currently under development by Toyota Motor Corporation, a "low-speed, small" type and a "medium-speed, medium-sized" type, will be used. The robots are scheduled to travel approximately 1.6 km on public roads for the purpose of delivering goods from the "Dondon Market" and transporting goods purchased from farmers.
Through this experiment, we will examine the technical and environmental challenges, the business profitability requirements, and the appropriate use of two types of robots when introducing automated delivery robots into home delivery services.
"Dondon Market" is a retail store operated by a mutual aid business entity funded and managed by local residents, providing lifestyle services such as the sale of groceries and daily necessities, direct sales of locally harvested agricultural products, and operation of a gas station.
The facility also serves as a community watchdog, combining mobile sales with community interaction through its multi-purpose hall, making it an indispensable resource for local residents.
In the future, the aim is to expand support to various regions, not only in sparsely populated areas and mountainous regions, but also to include apartment complexes and housing developments in urban areas, and to support people who have difficulty getting around or shopping.
<Experiment Overview>
