The rapid advancement of robotics and AI is revolutionizing urban metro systems, with Chinese cities like Shenzhen leading the wave.

In a groundbreaking development for urban logistics, Shenzhen Metro recently unveiled the world's first autonomous delivery robots using subway systems for cargo transportation.

A fleet of delivery robots were recently observed seamlessly boarding Line 2 trains at the Wanxia Station during off-peak hours. The robots' appearance caused a stir, with passengers taking out their phones to capture the moment.

Leveraging hardware and software technologies such as AI scheduling algorithms, panoramic laser radar and mechanical chassis, these robots are capable of autonomously riding lifts, entering and exiting platforms, boarding trains and delivering goods to convenience stores across the city's subway system.

Such a feat is the first of its kind in the world and marks the latest step in Shenzhen's push to expand the utilization of robots from the factory floor to other areas of urban life.

The trial run of the autonomous delivery robots is aimed to solve a long-standing logistical problem faced by retail outlets inside the city's subway stations.

Previously, metro store deliveries used ground transport and faced challenges like parking difficulties and peak-hour congestion.

With over 300 metro stations hosting thousands of convenient stores in Shenzhen, the wider adoption of these robots is expected to utilize idle subway capacity and improve delivery efficiency for merchants.

This move aligns with the city's embodied intelligent robot technology innovation and industrial development action plan, which vows to foster a more robust industrial ecosystem and elevate its comprehensive competitiveness of the embodied intelligent robotics industry to globally leading levels. According to the action plan, the market value of related industries in Shenzhen is expected to exceed 100 billion RMB by 2027.

As the city produces more than 20 percent of China's industrial robots, the pioneering deployment of autonomous delivery robots is poised to set a global benchmark for high-density urban supply chains, transforming idle subway capacity into a smart logistics network.