In April of this year, Cainiao unveiled its first climbing robot, ZeeBot, at the logistics exhibition in Atlanta, USA, and announced the operational deployment of the first climbing robot warehouse in a cross-border facility in Dongguan. According to reports, ZeeBot breaks away from the traditional segmented model of ground transportation and vertical storage handling in automated warehouses. The same robot can move rapidly across the floor and directly climb shelves for storage and retrieval.
On May 20, during a media exchange, Bi Jianghua, Vice President of Cainiao and General Manager of the Logistics Technology Division, stated that the next generation of climbing robots will evolve towards greater stability, enhanced capabilities, and more diverse functions. In terms of mobility, robots will transition from ground to shelves and move freely on them. For picking capabilities, robots will be equipped with arms to autonomously complete item selection. Regarding self-rescue functions, if a robot malfunctions, another robot will be deployed for assistance. In the future, Cainiao plans to introduce picking robots, with all tasks from shelving to item selection handled by robots, enabling 24/7 warehouse operations.
Based on data released by Cainiao, climbing robot warehouses have demonstrated significant advantages over other automated warehouses: robots move faster, reaching speeds of 4 meters per second on flat surfaces; they can climb to shelves as high as five stories in 10 seconds; storage density is higher, increasing space utilization by 40%; and modular design enhances deployment efficiency, providing greater scalability for warehouses.
It is understood that the core components of Cainiao's climbing robots are independently developed and manufactured. Some parts are processed by external suppliers, but final assembly is carried out at Cainiao's own factory. Meanwhile, Cainiao's climbing robots are now commercially available, with several climbing robot warehouse projects both domestically and internationally in the preliminary planning or delivery stages.
Discussing the business model for climbing robot warehouses, Bi Jianghua explained two approaches: first, directly providing standardized, complete solutions; second, partnering with overseas collaborators who develop the plans, with Cainiao supplying core equipment and software. Bi further revealed that within Cainiao alone, four to five large-scale projects are expected to be implemented this year. Feedback from external clients indicates a positive market response, exceeding the company's expectations. He noted that the contract value for this year is quite substantial, with progress significantly outpacing the initial stages of industry peers.
"Domestic enterprise clients are highly price-sensitive, while clients in Europe and America prioritize a comprehensive after-sales service system and capabilities, followed by product quality and performance, such as compliance with local access standards, with price being a secondary consideration," Bi Jianghua remarked regarding the cost investment and payback period for climbing robot warehouses. He highlighted differences in mindset: Chinese enterprises focus more on the one-time investment cost, with a payback period of about 18 months, whereas overseas companies are more concerned with the total operational cost over time, with payback periods spanning 5 to 10 years.
In Bi Jianghua's view, one of the trends driven by AI technology in the logistics industry is unmanned operations across the entire supply chain. "The logistics industry has long been labor-intensive. Robots, by comparison, operate more standardizedly and are less dependent on environmental factors. Therefore, deploying automation equipment like robots can significantly reduce reliance on personnel, simplify operational processes, and enhance efficiency and delivery certainty."
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