JD Logistics Unveils World's First Unmanned Intelligent Distribution Station in Xi’an

On February 23, JD presented its unmanned intelligent distribution station to be used in the National Civil Aerospace Industry Base in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.

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[caption id="attachment_4957" align="aligncenter" width="641"] Xiao Jun, JD Group Vice President and JD's X Lab Division President (center) introduced the development and layout planning of JD Logistics to Shaanxi Provincial Party Secretary Hu Heping (right).[/caption]

Connecting UAVs, Automatic Cars, and Terminals with the World's First Unmanned Intelligent Distribution Station.

Located on the lawn of the northeast corner of JD Building on East Chang'an street in Xi'an, JD unmanned intelligent distribution station covers 14.4 square meters (155 square feet) and is 3.6 meters (12 feet) high. A JD unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying from afar landed on top of the station and automatically unloaded its cargo. After the goods were distributed internally, the distribution robots autonomously loaded the goods onto themselves to take to their designated places. This is the world's first intelligent logistics terminal. This unmanned intelligent distribution station can store at least 28 crates, 1 shipping box and 1 unmanned car. The concept of an unmanned intelligent logistics terminal was proposed by Richard Liu, the chairman and CEO of JD Group, at the company's 2017 annual general meeting. By 2018, the JD unmanned intelligent distribution station completed its functional testing and entered the pilot run stage. When the station receives the goods delivered by JD UAV, it distributes goods internally. Distribution robots then autonomously load the goods onto themselves and drive to the designated place. Xiao said, “JD unmanned intelligent distribution station works well in various environments: in cities, villages and mountainous areas. The station manages and connects UAVs and autonomous cars, and also provides services such as exchanging or refunding goods, receiving and delivering goods and so on. The wide use of unmanned intelligent distribution stations will create a smarter and more convenient shopping environment for society.”

Xi'an's “Asia No.1” to be Completed in 2018, another Step by JD Logistics

JD Logistics' smart logistics system is reflected in its terminal distribution and intelligent logistics center. Asia No. 1 Intelligent Logistics Center integrates strong intelligent logistics infrastructure with intelligent robots. It is an important part of JD Logistics' smart logistics layout. Asia No. 1 is currently under construction. The project covers an area of 210,000 square meters (2,260,000 square feet), and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018. After its completion, Asia No. 1 will become the distribution hub for JD Group in China. Wang Xueyin, the head of Asia No. 1, said that Asia No. 1 represents the most advanced intelligent logistics technology at home and abroad. Many technologies used in Asia No. 1 were developed and owned by JD Group.

Provide Practical Samples and Technical Support for the Global Logistics Revolution

UAVs, unmanned vehicles, unmanned warehouses, and unmanned intelligent distribution stations: JD unmanned intelligent distribution stations enable unmanned operations throughout the entire logistics process. JD Group uses intelligent equipment to handle the complex dynamics of e-commerce. JD Group has and will continue to set industry standards both at home and abroad. In order to further optimize the strategic layout of JD Group in Shaanxi province, JD Group developed hub and flow economies. JD Group plans to invest 10 billion yuan ($1.58 billion) in Xi’an to construct modern intelligent logistics infrastructure covering more than 2 million square meters (22 million square feet). “JD Group will use the location advantage and policy advantage of Shaanxi province, take advantage of logistics and business flow, and implement cutting-edge intelligent logistic technologies,” said Huang Dongsheng, the vice president of JD Group.

This article originally appeared in Tencent Tech and was translated by Pandaily.