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7-Eleven’s New Delivery Robots Are Using Public Transportation in China

Vanke’s autonomous delivery robots navigated subways, elevators, and city streets to stock 7-Eleven stores across Shenzhen.
ByCaLea Johnson|
7-Eleven convenience stores will soon be getting many deliveries from autonomous robots.
7-Eleven convenience stores will soon be getting many deliveries from autonomous robots. | Vanke

Robots are often depicted as evil, but China’s adorable new delivery machines are challenging that misconception. These chunky guys are making deliveries around Shenzhen, and they’re doing so while following proper public transportation etiquette.

Popular Science reports that Vanke, the China-based company behind the cheerful, four-wheeled robots, programmed approximately 40 of the devices to deliver items to 7-Eleven convenience stores. The machines are instructed to take the most optimized route to each store, which often requires a subway ride. Luckily, the robots have good manners: They wait for people to exit the metro before entering the car. The autonomous vehicles then stay onboard until they arrive at their stop and take a remote-controlled elevator to street level. They eventually roll their way to a 7-Eleven, where a worker can unlock the cargo case and unpack the boxes inside.  

So how do robots successfully navigate a city when so many tourists have trouble? One factor is their panoramic lidar technology, which allows them to view their surroundings. A special chassis—a structure that serves as the vehicle’s skeleton—also allows the machine to adjust itself. Additionally, an AI-based dispatching system determines the quickest and easiest routes while managing delivery schedules.

Vanke’s recent release of the robots was a preliminary test that took place outside of rush hour. The company plans to utilize the robots to eventually assist with shelf stocking at 100 7-Eleven locations. 

The ultimate goal is to speed up the delivery of store goods in general. Human drivers are limited by the constraints of traffic and parking, especially in Shenzhen. A convenience store manager participating in a preliminary test noted that the obstacles frequently led to lengthy delivery times and increased labor costs. 

China isn’t the only country where delivery systems are moving away from the human component. Delivery robots are also gaining traction in some parts of the U.S., including Los Angeles, where Uber Eats and Serve Robotics have partnered to develop similar machines.

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