Alliances & Technology Transfer

Alliances&TechTrans
JTB, MK team up for robot-guided taxi tour
Major travel agency JTB Corp. and Kyoto-based taxi firm MK Co. have teamed up to offer “Kyo no Robo Tabi Taxi,” a tour of renowned Kyoto sightseeing spots that features Robohon, a robot-shaped mobile phone from Sharp Corp.
Yamato to team with U.S. firm on UAV
Yamato Holdings Co. has reached a basic agreement with a major U.S. helicopter manufacturer to develop an unmanned “flying truck” capable of transporting goods via air, Yamato announced Friday. It aims to start commercial use of the vehicles by the mid-2020s.
Toyota and SoftBank to integrate mobility and AI in new venture
Two titans of Japanese industry, Toyota Motor Corp. and SoftBank Group Corp. said Thursday they are setting up a new joint venture to develop autonomous driving technologies and other on-demand services, including food deliveries, medical care and office space.