Cartken, an autonomous delivery droid manufacturer, has partnered with Uber and Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi's electronic equipment manufacturing company, to launch a droid-based delivery service for Uber Eats customers in Japan.

The companies plan to commence the service in selected areas in Tokyo by the end of March, which will be accessible through the Uber Eats app.

In case of need, the robot can be remotely monitored and guided by Mitsubishi Electric employees.

Analyst QuickTake: Carken entered the Japanese market in January 2022 by partnering with Mitsubishi Electric to pilot a small fleet of droids at a shopping mall. Today’s partnership with Uber will help the company strengthen its presence in Japan and solidify its ties with Uber. Cartken first partnered with Uber to launch a delivery service to Uber Eats customers in Miami, Florida, in December 2022 and expanded to include Fairfax, Virginia, in April 2023. Automating last-mile delivery is not entirely a new experience for Uber; the company has entered multiple similar partnerships with parties, including peer droid-maker Serve Robotics and autonomous delivery vehicle (ADV) providers Motional, Nuro, and Alphabet-owned Waymo.