World Supply Co.,LTD.(Head office: Koto-ku, Tokyo; President: Kimihiko Sakagami; hereinafter "World Supply"), an SG Holdings Group company that handles delivery services and in-person logistics for department stores and large-scale retailers, and QBIT Robotics Corporation. (headquartered in Nakano-ku, Tokyo; Hiroya Nakano, President; hereinafter "QBIT Robotics"), which has experience in introducing automated robots for delivery and catering operations, conducted a mail delivery experiment using QBIT Robotics' DR1 autonomous delivery robot in the back yard of the Hankyu Umeda Department Store, which World Supply is entrusted with delivering items inside the store. The experiment was conducted at the backyard of Hankyu Umeda Department Store, which is entrusted by World Supply Co.,LTD.
〜Autonomous delivery robot "DR1" making a delivery in a backyard〜
World Supply offers a service that delivers goods and documents to each sales floor and backyard offices in commercial facilities. In this demonstration experiment, the focus was on small packages (mail) such as documents delivered to backyard offices.
Demonstration Experiment Overview
◼️ Period May 29 to June 9, 2023
◼️ Location Hankyu Umeda Honten, 3rd and 5th floor backyard
◼️ Purpose
To verify whether an autonomous delivery robot can safely travel and deliver mail to the destination office in the backyard, where the aisles are narrow and crowded with staff coming and going.
◼️ Operation
(1) Using sensors built into the robot, map out in advance the stopping points of each office of the delivery destination and slowdown points such as restrooms
(2) Load bags containing mail onto the robot in front of the elevators on each floor, and deliver to a total of four offices on the 3rd and 5th floors
(3)Upon arrival at each office, the robot sends a short message to the office staff. Upon arrival at each office, a short message is sent from the robot to the office staff, who receive the bags by operating the touch panel on the top of the robot.
DR1, developed by QBIT Robotics, is an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) that can autonomously detect and bypass obstacles, and is designed to work cooperatively with humans in any situation in society. The concept is to be able to work cooperatively with people in all situations in society.
In the verification experiment, the cooperative performance of DR1 was tested to see if it could perform automatic mail delivery in the crowded backyards of commercial facilities where many people pass by. During the test period, the DR1 was able to make deliveries while store staff were performing their normal duties in the backyard without any contact with each other.
World Supply and QBIT Robotics are partners in the SG HOLDINGS HIKYAKU LABO 2022, an open innovation program that aims to co-create new businesses and services by utilizing both the management resources of the SG Holdings Group and new ideas and technologies from outside companies. The two companies have been working on this project as partners since the "SG HOLDINGS HIKYAKU LABO 2022," an open innovation program that aims to co-create new businesses and services by utilizing both resources and new ideas and technologies of outside companies. Based on the results of this experiment, the two companies will work to further expand store support services such as delivery services within commercial facilities.
World Supply will continue to promote the automation of logistics operations within commercial facilities to ensure more stable and safer transportation of goods.
QBIT Robotics will continue to provide innovative solutions to realize a service robot society where people and robots work together and people can live happily.
Autonomous delivery robot "DR1"
＜An AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) that can autonomously detect and bypass obstacles, DR1 can work cooperatively with humans in any social situation.
<Specifications> Size: 504mm (width) x 1200mm (height)
Maximum loading weight: 40 kg max.
Direction of movement: 360 degrees
Moving speed: 1 m/s (max. 1.2 m/s)
＜Contact＞
World Supply Co.,LTD. https://www.world-supply.co.jp/
Public Relations, Corporate Planning Office Tel：03-3529-5120
Mail：ws@world-supply.co.jp
QBIT Robotics Corporation. https://www.qbit-robotics.jp/
Sales Mail：info@qbit-robotics.jp