Uber Eats says it will start delivering food using self-driving robots in parts of Tokyo on Wednesday. The company expects the service will help to ease a staff shortage.

A small six-wheel robot will be introduced to two restaurants in the capital's Nihonbashi district.

Customers who order food need to pick it up from the robot at the entrance of their building.

Uber Eats says the robot can work in the rain, when the number of delivery contractors tends to drop. The company plans to eventually expand the service to more areas as part of an effort to boost efficiency.

Japan is the second place that the company is rolling out the robot delivery service after the US.