Subway trains across the southern Chinese megacity of Shenzhen welcomed an unusual new set of passengers on Monday, as the city deployed a fleet of delivery robots to restock convenience stores scattered around its subway system.
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Dozens of squat delivery robots have now begun riding subway trains across the network during off-peak hours, exiting at each station where a 7-Eleven is located to make deliveries, according to a report by local news outlet SZNews.
The project is the first of its kind in the world and marks the latest step in Shenzhen’s push to expand the use of robots from the factory floor to other areas of urban life, the report said.
The metre-tall robots – operated by a logistics subsidiary of the Chinese property giant Vanke, which is part-owned by Shenzhen Metro – are capable of autonomously riding lifts, entering and exiting platforms, boarding trains and delivering goods to 7-Eleven stores across the city, according to SZNews.
The 41 robots reportedly caused a stir during their first day on the job, as passengers gathered around them to snap photos as they lined up inside the carriages. But the project is not simply a public relations stunt; it aims to solve a long-standing logistical problem faced by retail outlets inside Shenzhen’s subway stations.
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“In the past, delivery workers had to park above ground, unload goods, and manually push them into subway stations,” Li Yanyan, a manager at one of the 7-Eleven stores involved in the project, told SZNews. “Now, with robots, it’s much easier and more convenient.”