FedEx Express in collaboration with United States-based Dorabot has lunched DoraSorter, an artificial intelligence-powered intelligent sorting robot as part of its push to digitise its operations and build a smart logistics network.
The DoraSorter robot is being used at the 5,200-square-meter FedEx South China E-Commerce Shipment Sorting Center in Guangzhou.
DoraSorter is already part of the daily sorting operations and is capable of handling small inbound and outbound packages from e-commerce customers in South China.
While FedEx and Dorabot team up continue to fine-tune the robot based on operational needs and explore more application scenarios, DoraSorter’s core function of sorting parcels based on destination already matches the sorting centre’s operation process.
At approximately 40 square meters, DoraSorter can carry up to 10 kilograms of packages, covering up to 100 destinations simultaneously.
Also, the robot has a special drawer-shaped gripper that can connect with the conveyor belt seamlessly.
DoraSorter is equipped with a barcode reader that scans package to obtain destination information. It uses its gripper to receive a package inward from the conveyor belt and moves it outward to the corresponding destination slot.
“With e-commerce taking centtr stage in the future of retail in our region, the speed with which a parcel can be picked up and delivered to customers’ doorsteps has become a dominant factor in driving the adoption of sorting robots,” said Kawal Preet, president of the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region at FedEx Express.
Preet said that going forward, AI-powered technology will continue to change how FedEx supports customers in the region and how they enhance supply chains.
“The rapid rise in e-commerce has led to higher customer demand for timeliness and flexibility in logistics services, creating new challenges and opportunities for the entire logistics industry,” said Robert Chu, VP ofoperations at FedEx China.
“Our collaboration with Dorabot is our latest effort to improve operational efficiencies and build an agile logistics infrastructure through robotics technology that will support the growth of China’s e-commerce industry,” said Chu.
Last October, FedEx teamed up with Neolix to test an autonomous delivery vehicle in China. The company is also testing FedEx SameDay Bot, Roxo in AMEA to explore the future of contactless, last-mile delivery.
In addition, FedEx also launched a sensor-based logistics device — SenseAwareID — designed to enhance tracking precision, reliability and timely delivery of critical shipments such as life-saving pharmaceuticals and emergency medical supplies.
