Asian e-commerce giants JD.com and Rakuten today announced they will team up for unmanned delivery solutions in Japan, with JD.com’s innovative drones and delivery robots used by Rakuten for final-mile deliveries.
Under the agreement, Chinese technology and e-commerce group JD.com will combine its expertise in developing drones and autonomous delivery robots with Rakuten’s expertise in drone delivery service operations in Japan, such as its dedicated shopping apps.
The two e-commerce groups said that they aim to accelerate the development and commercialization of Rakuten’s unmanned delivery solutions in Japan and will cooperate to promote convenience and innovation in society.
Rakuten already launched its Rakuten Drone delivery service in 2016, and has gained experience through providing delivery services and trials in collaboration with corporate partners and local governments. In 2018, its first delivery trial was conducted using a combination of drones and autonomous delivery robots, a step toward solving the last mile challenge for the logistics sector in Japan.
“We are delighted to begin this collaboration with JD.com, which boasts the most cutting-edge proprietary delivery network in China as well as a track record and know-how in delivery with drones and UGVs,” said Koji Ando, Group Managing Executive Officer of Rakuten, Inc.
“By utilizing JD.com’s drones and UGVs with the unmanned delivery solutions created by Rakuten, we hope to accelerate innovation in the Japanese logistics sector and contribute to building a society that can offer greater convenience to all citizens.”
For its part, JD.com began developing its drone program in 2015, and launched the world’s first commercial drone deliveries in 2016 in rural China. It currently operates drones in Jiangsu, Shaanxi and other provinces. Since then, JD’s drones have logged more than 400,000 minutes of flight time.
On the ground in China, its autonomous delivery robots are being used in urban areas in several cities and are becoming frequent sights on a number of university campuses and in office parks. JD.com has also launched two smart delivery stations in the cities of Changsha and Hohhot, transforming last-mile logistics and further increasing delivery speed for customers.
The Chinese group has already started to export its technology to other countries. In January 2019, the company announced the success of Indonesia’s first government-approved drone test flight, opening the door for future commercial drone use in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
“We have been using drones and autonomous delivery robots for real deliveries in China for over two years. This is one way we are innovating to make logistics more accessible, reliable and cost-effective,” said Jun Xiao, president of JD-X, JD’s logistics innovation lab.
“In Japan there are many opportunities for drones to make deliveries in mountainous areas, remote islands and in emergency situations. As we push the bounds of what our autonomous delivery technology can do, and explore its use in a wide range of applications from e-commerce to humanitarian support, we believe it will continue to bring significant benefit to people around the world.”
