FedEx has partnered with Dorabot, a robotics solution provider for the logistics sector, to launched an AI-powered intelligent sorting robot at its South China e-commerce centre.
At approximately 40m2, the robot can carry up to 10kg of packages, covering up to 100 destinations simultaneously. It has a special drawer-shaped gripper that can connect with the conveyor belt.
Furthermore, DoraDorter is equipped with a barcode reader that scans packages to obtain destination information, the robot uses its gripper to receive a package inward from the conveyor belt and moves it outward to the corresponding destination slot.
DoraSorter will initially be deployed at FedEx’s shipment sorting centre in Guangzhou. DoraSorter is already part of the daily sorting operations at the 5,200m2 facility, and is capable of handling small inbound and outbound packages from e-commerce customers across South China.
While FedEx and Dorabot teams continue to fine-tune the robot based on operational requirements, and explore more application scenarios, DoraSorter’s core function of sorting parcels based on destination matches the sorting centre’s operation process.
The sorting robot represents FedEx Express’ latest push in digitising its operations and building a smart logistics network to handle the growing volumes of e-commerce-related shipments.
“With e-commerce taking centre 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.
“Bringing DoraSorter to China as a pilot program is a natural choice for us given it’s the world’s biggest e-commerce market with an expected valuation of US$3.3 trillion by 2025.
“As we look to build a data-driven, smart logistics network to help our customers thrive in the digital economy, this alliance with Dorabot is part of becoming the network for what’s next. AI-powered technology will continue to change how we support customers in the region and enhance supply chains for the future.”
