A team of robots made use of Shenzhen’s metro on Monday, in what China Daily described as a “global first.” The robots were transporting goods to shops within a metro station.
The fleet was equipped with advanced artificial intelligence dispatch systems, panoramic sensory systems that use light for precise navigation, and chassis technology enabling them to travel in a wide range of urban scenarios with autonomy.
They were designed by VX Logistics, a subsidiary of Shenzhen-headquartered Vanke Group and an Amazon Delivery Service Partner in the US.
[See more: Chinese scientists are turning bees into tiny reconnaissance drones]
Monday’s operation was a test run at Wanxia Station, using Shenzhen’s Metro Line 2.
The idea is that robots can make deliveries more efficiently than humans transporting goods from trucks parked above ground to the convenience stores and other shops located in underground metro stations. Such missions were often made difficult by limited parking spaces and rush hour traffic, China Daily noted.
Shenzhen is already using self-driving vehicles to deliver goods and food above ground, while a cross-border drone delivery service is being developed for other parts of the Greater Bay Area.
