TOKYO/HONG KONG -- Chinese internet group JD.com on Thursday said it will test driverless deliveries with Japanese peer Rakuten, hoping to take a first step toward expanding its robotics business internationally.
China's second-largest e-commerce company will provide delivery robots -- drones and unmanned ground vehicles that are equipped with cameras and sensors for self-navigation -- to Rakuten, which will use them to test last-mile deliveries in Japan. JD.com operates more than 100 drones and 50 driverless ground vehicles in China, according to Xiao Jun, who leads the company's robotics division.
