A leading robotics company Dorabot has introduced DoraSorter, a robotic sorting robot powered by artificial intelligence (AI), in collaboration with FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp and one of the world’s largest express carriers. In order to handle the ever-growing volumes of e-commerce-related shipments in the region, FedEx Express has introduced a sorting robot to help digitize its operations and develop a smart logistics network.
Robert Chu, vice president, Operations, FedEx China, said, “Innovation is at our core and is a major factor behind FedEx strategy in China. To meet customers’ changing needs, we have been exploring and investing in new technologies to enhance every key aspect of transportation. 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. 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.”
FedEx has deployed the first robot of its kind, the DoraSorter, at the FedEx South China E-Commerce Shipment Sorting Center in Guangzhou, a 5,200m2 facility. As part of daily operations, DoraSorter handles small inbound and outbound packages from e-commerce customers in South China. FedEx and Dorabot continue to refine the robot based on operational requirements and explore more application scenarios. However, the sorting center’s operating process is consistent with DoraSorter’s core function of sorting parcels based on destination. DoraSorter includes the following features:
- On an area of 40 square meters, the robot can carry up to 10 kilograms of packages, while simultaneously covering up to 100 destinations.
- Robots have grippers that can be easily attached to conveyor belts thanks to their drawer-shaped design.
- With a barcode reader that scans packages to determine their destinations, the robot grabs packages off the conveyor belt and places them in the gripper. The robot then transports it to the designated location.
Xiaobai Deng, founder, and CEO of Dorabot said, “The rapid rise in eCommerce has led to higher customer demand for timeliness and flexibility in logistics services, creating new challenges and opportunities for the entire logistics industry. 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 eCommerce industry. The use of DoraSorter helps FedEx sort a higher volume of cross-border e-commerce shipments.”
