Fujitsu, Home Appliance Supply Chain Council, Distribution Economics Institute of Japan, and SoftBank Robotics launch pilot project to standardize packaging damage assessment and reduce product returns using AI

Takasaki, Tokyo and Kawasaki, Japan, Nov 2, 2026 – (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) – The Home Appliance Supply Chain Council, the Distribution Economics Institute of Japan, Fujitsu Limited (Fujitsu), and SoftBank Robotics Corp. (SoftBank Robotics) today announced the commencement of a joint pilot project on November 2, 2026. This initiative aims to clarify and standardize criteria for determining packaging damage across the home appliance industry and utilize AI to assess such damage, thereby reducing unnecessary product returns during delivery.

This project is conducted by the Council for Sustainable Home Appliance Logistics (comprised of the Home Appliance Supply Chain Council and the Distribution Economics Institute of Japan) and has been adopted as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s initiative, “Subsidy for Promoting Behavioral Change in Shippers and Logistics Operators Using Digital Technology.” The pilot will clarify and standardize criteria for determining whether home appliances need to be returned during delivery from manufacturers to mass retailers when their packaging is damaged. The partners will develop and validate a mechanism that uses Fujitsu Kozuchi’s Amalgamation AI for Vision and SoftBank Robotics’ AI solution to assess damage based on standardized criteria. The initiative aims to reduce unnecessary returns, improve logistics efficiency across the supply chain, and reduce environmental impact.

Background

Currently, the logistics industry faces significant challenges due to labor shortages and rising delivery costs. In the home appliance sector, products are often returned or redelivered due to minor abrasions or dents in cardboard packaging, even when the appliance itself remains undamaged. The criteria used to make these judgments vary from company to company, and the process often depends heavily on the subjective experience of onsite staff. As a result, the same type of damage may be assessed differently depending on the location or staff responsible. This can lead to operational inefficiencies, increased transportation costs, higher CO2 emissions, and excessive resource consumption.

Overview of the Pilot Project

Based on the packaging damage assessment criteria currently used by home appliance manufacturers, mass retailers, and logistics providers that are members of the Home Appliance Supply Chain Council, the partners will develop industry-wide assessment criteria, build an AI-based assessment model, and verify the AI’s effectiveness and feasibility in actual logistics operations. The assessment model used in the pilot will draw on AI technologies from Fujitsu and SoftBank Robotics.

Details of the Pilot Project

• Project Period: 

– November 2, 2026 to January 15, 2027

• Roles:

– Home Appliance Supply Chain Council & Distribution Economics Institute of Japan: Overall project planning, develop industry-wide packaging damage assessment criteria based on the existing criteria of home appliance manufacturers, mass retailers, and logistics providers, and provision of packaging image data and operational expertise.• Fujitsu & SoftBank Robotics: Provision of AI technologies and data analysis.

• AI Technology:

– Fujitsu: The AI platform Fujitsu Kozuchi and its image recognition technology, Amalgamation AI for Vision, which enables high-precision recognition with minimal data and makes it easy to specify assessment conditions and can provide the reasons for its assessment.• SoftBank Robotics: An AI solution that analyzes images of cardboard packaging captured with a smartphone and assesses damage based on predefined criteria. It records the assessment results, allowing them to be reviewed later.

• Verification Goals:

– Evaluate the accuracy of the AI damage assessment model.• Evaluate approaches to standardizing the assessment criteria.• Validate operational feasibility in logistics settings.• Analyze the effectiveness of measures in reducing returns and redeliveries.• Evaluate the potential for application to supply-chain-wide optimization.

Future Plans

Through this pilot, the partners aim to establish objective criteria for packaging damage assessment, create an environment where manufacturers, mass retailers, and logistics providers can make objective assessments based on common criteria. Looking ahead, the project intends to publish the packaging damage criteria and explore their application beyond the home appliance industry to promote digital transformation in logistics through the use of AI and contribute to the realization of a sustainable supply chain.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers around the globe, our 100,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: AI, Computing, Networks, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.5 trillion yen (US$23 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: global.fujitsu

Copyright 2026 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com