
BEIJING -- A Chinese robotics startup is growing into a major supplier of technologies to improve the efficiency of operations at distribution centers that fulfill soaring e-commerce orders.
Demand for systems for more efficient and smarter warehouse management is strong in China, where online shopping has been growing at a breakneck speed, driving up the number of parcels handled. Despite the explosive growth of e-commerce, only about 20% of distribution operations are automated in China, compared with 80% in major industrial nations.