Amid increasing shipment volumes, DHL Express has introduced DHLBot, an AI-powered (artificial intelligence) robotic arm that automates parcel sortation, in two countries in Asia Pacific.

It said the DHLBot will complement manual sortation of small parcels and enable hubs and gateways to handle greater volumes, particularly during peak season, while increasing overall operational efficiency by at least 40%.

“Sorting parcels might seem like a straightforward process but it actually takes a lot of time, effort and precision to ensure that they get to their addressees without a hitch! These innovations, however minor they seem, will really boost our employees’ and operations’ productivity and efficiency,” said Ken Lee, CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific.

“The DHLBots are a demonstration of our innovative spirit as we continuously seek solutions to automate repetitive tasks and correspondingly, position us at the forefront of next-generation express logistics.”

DHL Express partnered with Dorabot, an AI-powered robotic solution provider, to implement the DHLBot. This follows a successful pilot that saw a significant boost in parcel sortation productivity and service quality.

DHL noted that this is especially critical given the consistent growth in shipment volume witnessed across Asia Pacific.

E-commerce growth cited

In 2020, DHL Express recorded a 17.3% year-on-year increase in shipment volume during the peak months of November and December.

DHL noted that the DHLBot is capable of sorting over 1,000 small parcels per hour with 99% accuracy, reducing the probability of mis-sorting and thereby, removes the need for secondary sorting. 

“This smart sortation robot enables us to manage the increasing growth of shipment and parcel volume driven by the rise of cross-border e-commerce. It also translates to a safer work environment for our employees, as it lifts their efficiency during peak season when labor demand is high,” said Sean Wall, executive vice president, Network Operations & Aviation, DHL Express Asia Pacific.