INTELLIGENT parcel delivery vehicles, self-driving light trucks and drones have been used for goods delivery and collection during the COVID-19 epidemic in Shenzhen since the beginning of this year, thanks to the city’s favorable policies, industrial chain and application environment for autonomous and unmanned systems.

A JD Logistics-developed red intelligent parcel delivery vehicle was seen working at Shatou Subdistrict in Futian District on Tuesday, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

The self-driving vehicle, just like self-service parcel lockers, enables residents to pick up their parcels after entering the pick-up codes.

The parcel delivery vehicle is about 1.75 meters high and 2.15 meters long, and is equipped with a LiDAR sensor and visual camera, combined with advanced visual algorithm and high-precision map to realize high-level driving automation.

The parcel delivery vehicle’s maximum speed is about 15 kilometers per hour, with a 150-kilogram single load capacity. Each vehicle can deliver 100 to 150 parcels every day.

Gong Bo, JD Logistics’ unmanned vehicle operation executive in South China, told the Daily that the first batch of intelligent parcel delivery vehicles will prioritize materials transportation and parcel collection in Futian’s Shatou and Lianhua subdistricts.

During the lockdown of parts of the city, the vehicles will offer services to the greatest extent to meet residents’ needs until the lockdown is lifted in these areas, Gong said.

The autonomous light trucks developed by Shenzhen self-driving technology firm DeepRoute.ai have also been used to transport anti-epidemic supplies in the designated control areas for COVID-19 in Shatou Subdistrict since the evening of Feb. 24.

In January this year, two hospitals of Luohu Hospital Group began to use drones to transport nucleic acid test samples.

(Zhang Yu)