JD.com brings robot delivery vans to over 10 Chinese cities

Country's No. 2 e-tailer weighed down by $1.7bn annual technology investment

20190715N JD-Autonomous Delivery Robot

JD's delivery robots, armed with cameras and sensors, bring items to customers. (Photo courtesy of JD.com)

SHIN WATANABE, Nikkei staff writer

DALIAN -- JD.com has taken its self-driving delivery vehicles to more than 10 Chinese cities as it scrambles to cope with worsening labor shortages.

The country's No. 2 e-tailer began making deliveries with artificial intelligence-guided autonomous vehicles in 2018. The service is now available in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing and elsewhere. The robot vehicles rely on cameras and sensors to monitor their surroundings and reach their destinations without hitting obstacles.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.