Delivery robots from JD.com expected to launch in Shanghai

Credit: Weibo/半岛晨报

Online retailer JD.com recently launched its first delivery robot at Beijing's Renmin University.

The device, called the JDX, delivered a package to a single destination in the media preview, which was around 300 metres from the distribution centre, but it can carry up to five boxes.

Credit: Weibo/半岛晨报

That may not sound too impressive, but it also successfully dodged cars and pedestrians during rush hour, using artificial intelligence to navigate itself to the destination safely.

Credit: Weibo/半岛晨报

The 'robot', which essentially looks like an unmanned delivery trike, uses motion sensor technology and stops dead when it detects a nearby object. Fully charged, the robot can travel 20km and is able to climb inclines below 25 degrees.

Credit: Weibo/半岛晨报

To pick up the goods, customers get a message saying the robot has arrived; they then go outside, plug in a code to unlock the device and retrieve their package.

Credit: Weibo/半岛晨报

These robots are first being launched at university campuses nationwide, before being rolled out at all 1,300 JD delivery stations across the country. Most of the machines will be used to complete the last kilometre of a delivery route – so don't expect to see them trundling along Yanan Lu any time soon.

Credit: Weibo/半岛晨报

Delivery drivers will load them up with packages to be delivered in a certain area and let the robot take the packages the last part of the journey, which will usually be within apartment complexes and residential communities.

So that's it, the future of anonymously buying sex toys online is finally here, and that final pesky piece of human interaction involved in shopping online has finally been eradicated.

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