Suning Logistics, a subsidiary of Chinese commercial giant Suning Holdings Group, has completed driving tests for its autonomous heavy-duty truck, ‘Strolling Dragon’, in Shanghai.
Strolling Dragon is the largest unmanned truck in Suning Logistics’ automated fleet, boasting Level-4 self-driving capabilities; it is highly automated, and is able to operate without human input within pre-programmed parameters. It is the first self-driving truck developed by a Chinese e-commerce company to pass logistics campus tests and highway-scenario road tests in China.
Equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), deep-learning technologies, and gadgets such as laser radar, Strolling Dragon cam recognize obstacles at a distance of over 300 meters, at high speeds. In addition, the unmanned truck can make emergency stops, or avoid obstacles at a response rate of 25 ms, allowing for safe autonomous driving even at a speed of 80 km/h.
Strolling Dragon is part of Sunning’s strategy to provide fully-automated logistics solutions powered by AI.
Zhang Jindong, chairman of Suning Holdings Group, said: “The success of Strolling Dragon’s self-driving tests represents another step forward in our online-to-offline (O2O) smart retail strategy. Suning’s goal is to develop its logistics business into the biggest and most intelligent retail infrastructure network in China. The promise of automation solutions will not only boost efficiency in Suning’s logistics operations, but also benefit the industry, and consumers, by offering more possibilities, and a better shopping experience.”
