Chinese robotics company Geek+ and smart logistics company Engero have deployed a fleet of moving robots to create a smart, unmanned cold-chain warehouse in the Chinese port of Tianjin.

This has led to the warehouse seeing improvements of 35% in storage, 42% in handling efficiency and 99.99% in handling accuracy.

Thanks to globalisation, the cold-chain logistics market is heating up as consumers pursue quality, fresh ingredients. Tianjin, the gateway to Beijing and a hub for China’s massive import and export businesses, is the first stop in China’s cold-chain logistics network.

The smart cold-chain warehouse provides low-temperature warehousing and other services in an area of over 30,000 square metres.

Geek+’s flexible autonomous mobile robots and algorithm strategies are the twin engines driving the improvement and modernisation of the warehouse. Due to the extreme conditions, manual operations are by nature not well-suited to cold-chain logistics operations and quickly become inefficient and even dangerous.

Geek+’s automated mobile robots (AMRs) can operate stably at low temperatures 24 hours a day, seven days a week, reducing the need for people to endure extreme, unpleasant working conditions.

A further benefit of robotic automation of cold-chain logistics is a reduction in risks to workers’ health and goods’ safety. Upon arrival in the port, goods requiring cold-chain storage are carried by Geek+’s MP1000R moving robots to the depot area for customs inspection and disinfection, before entering the storage area for further processing and distribution.

AI algorithms optimise the robots’ routes with intelligent queuing strategies to avoid traffic jams in narrow passages and drive efficient cluster scheduling. The 360˚ laser obstacle avoidance and omnidirectional sensing allow the robots to navigate in narrow aisles, increasing storage space density and further ensuring worker safety.

The robot’s self-rotating jack allows for flexibility with little space occupied when moving pallets, meaning warehouses can be upgraded without fuss.

Geek+’s artificial intelligence is seamlessly integrated into the warehouse control system and oversees the operations of the whole fleet. The warehouse operates under the cloud warehouse management mode and all process data can be traced. This enables centralised inventory management, online billing and real-time information flows, which improve efficiency and makes it easy to keep tabs on the whole process.

The facility in Tianjin is said to be the world’s first fully-automated cold-chain port warehouse. Geek+ will continue to work with Engero to implement its technology to extend this to further cold-chain logistics providers.

Founded in 2015, Geek+ has more than 1500 employees, with offices in Germany, UK, USA, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Engero is a smart logistics provider that helps its customers improve efficiency, reduce costs and improve management through automation and smart technologies. At present, Engero conducts business throughout China.