The robot is working for the Xiaoli Daojia platform. [Photo/liangjiang.gov.cn]

Xiaoli Daojia – China's first community-based retail platform featuring robot delivery – was independently developed by the Chongqing Research Institute of Jilin University and a local firm. It recently opened for business officially after its launch ceremony.

The platform provides a more convenient and efficient new retail business solution for e-commerce delivery and unmanned retail space and is currently able to be industrialized.

Hu Zhangyou, director of the community big data center of Chongqing Research Institute of Jilin University, explained how the philosophy works: once a platform user places an order online, staff members will be reminded to stock the goods and control the robot while it is providing the delivery service. All the robots' actions, including opening the access control, pressing the elevator buttons, and calling users to pick up products, are done automatically.

Every such robot is equipped with a map of the buildings it serves. And 10,000 such robots covering 2,000 service sites will generate 2 billion yuan ($278.6 million) in annual revenue.

The platform has been on trial operation since April at a talent apartment in Liangjiang New Area, and robots can now be used in dormitory buildings, office buildings, apartments, hotels, and communities.