Published : 25/08/2025
Have you ever seen a robot take the metro to make a delivery? For the first time ever, adorable delivery robots in south China's Shenzhen are autonomously riding the metro to bring goods to convenience stores.
How do they carry out the task?
Robots navigate and take trains using AI
In the Wanxia Station (灣廈站) of Shenzhen Metro Line 2, a penguin-like robot appeared on the subway platform, fully loaded with goods.
Through the "AI scheduling algorithm," it autonomously planned the optimal route and was waiting for the train on the platform.
This is a pilot project operated in cooperation between Shenzhen Metro Group and Vanke Group, utilising non-peak hours of Shenzhen Metro to test how robots autonomously deliver goods to retail stores inside the station.
The robot was developed and launched by the subsidiary company of Vanke, conducting its first trial at Shenzhen Metro stations.
Robots can maximise space usage with cm-level precision
In the official video, the robot is waiting for the train on the platform.
When the train arrives, the robot follows the route to move into the carriage, capable of docking within the carriage with centimetre-level precision. It can maintain a distance of only one cm from the carriage pillars, ensuring it does not obstruct the normal use of carriage space.
The robot is equipped with a panoramic laser radar capable of intelligently perceiving the surrounding environment. When encountering passengers, it can avoid them in advance without touching them.
Upon arrival at the station, the robot is capable of entering and exiting the station independently, even if it needs to transfer to other subway lines.
After disembarking, using laser radar to issue commands, the robot can control and take the elevator to the appropriate floor.
Capable of taking elevators for precise delivery
Finally, following the self-planned route, the robot safely delivers the goods to the designated convenience store.
It is reported that due to the flow of people and geographical limitations in the Metro, shops inside metro stations need to rely on ground delivery which have difficulties such as parking issues and high costs.
The type of robot is therefore tested to foster delivery during Metro's off-peak hours and to test the possibility of unmanned delivery system in metro stations.
This application of technology for public welfare has created a new scenario for robots in Shenzhen.
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