"Autonomous Delivery Robots Hit the Streets in Japan"

"Autonomous Delivery Robots Hit the Streets in Japan"

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Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."
　
Join us as we learn Japanese and about the country through Japanese news stories. Today's headline is…
　
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荷物（にもつ）を届（とど）けるロボット　4月（がつ）から公道（こうどう）を走（はし）ることができる

"Autonomous Delivery Robots Hit the Streets in Japan"
This news story was published on NEWS WEB EASY's website on March 29th.
　
Now, let's go over some vocab words that will help us understand what's going on.
　
公道（こうどう）
public road
　
速（はや）さ
speed
　
Let's keep these words in mind as we listen.
　
「4月（がつ）1日（ついたち）から法律（ほうりつ）が変（か）わって、自動（じどう）で荷物（にもつ）を届（とど）けるロボットが、公道（こうどう）の人（ひと）が歩（ある）く所（ところ）を走（はし）ることができるようになります。走（はし）るためには、役所（やくしょ）の許可（きょか）が必要（ひつよう）です。
3月（がつ）27日（にち）、このロボットを紹介（しょうかい）するイベントが経済産業省（けいざいさんぎょうしょう）でありました。車（くるま）や電化製品（でんかせいひん）の会社（かいしゃ）などが作（つく）った8台（だい）のロボットを紹介（しょうかい）しました。パナソニックホールディングスのロボットは、人（ひと）が歩（ある）くのと同（おな）じぐらいの速（はや）さで、決（き）めたとおりの道（みち）を走（はし）りました。前（まえ）に人（ひと）がいるときなどは自動（じどう）で止（と）まりました。
国（くに）は、荷物（にもつ）を届（とど）ける会社（かいしゃ）で働（はたら）く人（ひと）が足（た）りないため、このロボットが役（やく）に立（た）つと考（かんが）えています。お年寄（としよ）りの買（か）い物（もの）などにも役（やく）に立（た）てたいと考（かんが）えています。」
　
This April, Japan enacted a revised road traffic law that now allows self-driving delivery robots to operate on public roads. Officials hope this will help address a shortage of delivery workers.
　
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Now we'll break down a few sentences from the story that contain helpful expressions and keywords. Let's start with the following sentence:
　
4月（がつ）1日（ついたち）から法律（ほうりつ）が変（か）わって、自動（じどう）で荷物（にもつ）を届（とど）けるロボットが、公道（こうどう）の人（ひと）が歩（ある）く所（ところ）を走（はし）ることができるようになります。
　
"The law will change on April 1st, allowing autonomous delivery robots to operate along public roads where people walk."
　
自動（じどう）means automatic. It's a word we use to describe a machine that is capable of working independently.
For example, an automatic door that is able to open and close without you having to do it manually is called 自動（じどう）ドア.
　
公道（こうどう）refers to "public roads," which are owned and maintained by the national, prefectural, or municipal government.
Public roads are subject to road traffic laws set by the government, which specify where pedestrians, bicycles, and cars can travel.
　
The sentence includes the phase 公道（こうどう）の人（ひと）が歩（ある）く所（ところ）, which means "the place along public roads where people walk."
　
That includes 歩道（ほどう）, "sidewalks."
Up until now self-driving robots were not allowed to operate on public roads. But starting April 1st, they can hit the streets — or more specifically, the sidewalks. Delivery companies are trying to pave the way for the widespread use of autonomous robots in society.
　
OK, let's move on to our next sentence.
　
パナソニックホールディングスのロボットは、人（ひと）が歩（ある）くのと同（おな）じぐらいの速（はや）さで、決（き）めたとおりの道（みち）を走（はし）りました。
　
"The robot from Panasonic Holdings traveled along a designated route at about walking speed."
　
Let's focus on the phrase 人（ひと）が歩（ある）くのと同（おな）じぐらいの速（はや）さ.
　
速（はや）い is an adjective that means "fast." 速（はや）さ is a noun that refers to how fast something moves.
　
In this way, if you have an adjective that ends in い, you can change the い to さ to turn it into a noun that expresses degree.
　
For example, 深（ふか）い, which means "deep," becomes 深（ふか）さ — "depth."
　
Other examples include:
大（おお）きい "big" and 大（おお）きさ "size."
　
And that's all for today.
Companies are rolling out these autonomous robots to ease labor shortage in the package delivery industry.
　
Let's hope that these robots can help delivery drivers in the near future.
　
Definitely, the future is now and you should be sure to tune in for next time for more!
　
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