Creating a Robot-Friendly Environment to Solve Transportation Challenges in Multi-Unit Housing
~Nippon Steel & Sumikin Real Estate, SoftBank Robotics, Nikken Sekkei, and Nikken Housing Systems Selected as Indirect Grant Recipients for the “Reiwa 5 Innovative Robotics R&D Infrastructure Development Project”~

Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director President and CEO: Masahiro Miwa), SoftBank Robotics Corp. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director President and CEO and CEO: Fumihide Tomizawa), Nikken Sekkei Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Atsushi Omatsu),and Nikken Housing Systems Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo; Representative Director President and CEO: Hiroyuki Usami), has been selected for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s “Reiwa 5 Innovative Robotics R&D Infrastructure Development Project”*.Following this selection, we will conduct verification of specific robot use cases and their economic feasibility with the aim of creating a robot-friendly environment for material handling in multi-unit residential buildings, such as high-rise apartment complexes.

Robots are expected to serve as tools for solving social issues such as labor shortages, and demand is growing even in the service and manufacturing sectors, where robot adoption has not yet progressed significantly.However, since many robots are developed and supplied with the assumption that they will be used within a narrow scope—such as specific business activities—they often require custom development, leading to a high-cost structure. This is one of the factors hindering the widespread adoption of robots.
To address this situation, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Reiwa 5 “Project for Building a Foundation for Innovative Robot Research and Development” aims to review existing business processes and facility environments, create a “robot-friendly environment,” and develop implementation models based on that environment.
In recent years, driven by the spread of the internet and the stay-at-home trend caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for delivery packages—primarily from online shopping—has continued to rise year after year.According to a survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (*1), the growth rate in the number of packages handled—including parcel deliveries—from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2022 was approximately 15 percent. Consequently, the number of redeliveries has also increased, becoming a social issue.Furthermore, in large-scale apartment complexes such as high-rise buildings, security measures are strict; reports from delivery companies indicate that it can take as long as 30 minutes to deliver a package, as couriers must press multiple intercom buttons and pass through automatic doors from the building entrance to the resident’s unit (*2). This situation places a burden on delivery personnel and causes stress for residents.

*1: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, “Trends in the Number of Parcels Handled” (Reiwa 4) https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/content/001625915.pdf
*2: Cited from presentation materials by service providers at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s “4th Meeting of the Study Group on Realizing Sustainable Logistics”

In this project, with the cooperation of a major logistics company that handles deliveries to large-scale apartment complexes, we will conduct a pilot test of a robot-based package delivery service.We will evaluate the optimal methods for utilizing robots, route planning, and coordination with users from the building entrance to individual residences. Additionally, based on data from participating companies, we will identify factors that ensure economic viability, assess the cost-effectiveness of robot implementation, and foster a more favorable market environment by increasing acceptance.
In large-scale apartment complexes, new initiatives aimed at solving transportation challenges are needed to provide a comfortable living environment. We believe that the cooperation of stakeholders is essential to achieving this.In this project, with the aim of creating a robot-friendly environment in the future, we plan to request the cooperation of logistics operators, developers, and property management companies through data provision, interviews, and other means.

Period: January 2024 – March 2024
Property Name: Livio Maison Minamisuna-cho
Address: 2-33-3 Minamisuna, Koto Ward, Tokyo

Nippon Steel & Kowa Real Estate develops and leases high-end rental condominiums for foreign residents—such as the “Intercity” series of large-scale urban development projects and the “BIZCORE” series of mid-sized, high-grade office buildings—in prime areas of central Tokyo, as well asthe “Homat” series of luxury rental condominiums for foreign residents. It is a comprehensive developer whose core businesses include the condominium sales business—represented by the “Livio” series—as well as condominium renovation projects and urban redevelopment initiatives.The Livio Life Design Research Institute, established to embody Livio’s “Life Design!” concept, is committed to creating condominium experiences that “enrich life.”

SoftBank Robotics was among the first to announce the humanoid robot “Pepper” in 2014. Since then, it has developed and launched the cleaning robot “Whiz,”the food-serving and transport robot “Servi,” and has played a pioneering role as a global robot integrator (RI) through its handling of various products, including the floor-cleaning robot “Scrubber 50” and the food-serving robot “Keenbot.”Currently, the company has 12 locations worldwide, and its products are in use in more than 70 countries. Leveraging this global network and drawing on its extensive experience and vast amounts of operational data, the company is pursuing Robot Transformation (RX) and striving toward a society where humans and robots coexist.

We are a professional services firm engaged in architectural and civil engineering design and supervision, urban design, and related survey, planning, and consulting services.For 120 years since our founding in 1900, we have been committed to creating value through “Social and Environmental Design,” which seeks solutions to both apparent and latent social issues, in order to meet the needs of society and the diverse requests of our clients.In March 2021, we declared a “Climate Emergency” as part of our efforts toward a decarbonized society. To address the challenge of a shrinking workforce, we have proposed “Smart Operation Building”—a concept that uses architectural innovations and IoT technology to reduce the administrative burden of building management—and are working toward the realization of a “Robofre Building.”

We are a group of experts in residential facilities that provides planning, design, and construction supervision for urban apartment complexes, as well as research and consulting services related to apartment building reconstruction. To flexibly adapt to changes in “lifestyles” brought about by various social issues, we participate in research on “living spaces of the future” and in the strategic product planning and development of apartment buildings and other residential properties.To realize a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle in the coming era, we continue to take on new challenges, leveraging the expertise we have cultivated as specialists in creating housing systems, to develop frameworks that enhance “lifestyles” from a variety of perspectives.

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