Shanghai (Gasgoo)- A fleet of futuristic autonomous delivery vehicles has quietly rolled onto the bustling streets of Huaqiangbei—known as "China's No.1 Electronics Street"—as part of an AI-powered logistics pilot in Shenzhen's Futian District. The project, supported by local autonomous driving technology firm MINIEYE, marks the debut of its "Xiaozhu" (translating to "Little Bamboo") driverless delivery vans in one of the world's densest commercial hubs.
The initiative represents a major milestone for MINIEYE's expansion into intelligent logistics and forms part of Huaqiangbei's broader effort to build a "new productivity hub" through AI applications. With more than 1.5 million parcels handled daily, the district faces chronic congestion and last-mile delivery bottlenecks—problems this project aims to alleviate through automation.
Huaqiangbei has long topped China's professional logistics markets, processing over one billion parcels annually with a total value exceeding 100 billion yuan. Yet, the area's success has come at a cost—its narrow streets and high logistics density have pushed traditional delivery systems to their limits, creating persistent inefficiencies.
To tackle these challenges, the Futian District AI Industry Office, together with Shenzhen Bus Group, launched the "AI + Autonomous Logistics Vehicle" pilot. MINIEYE, leveraging its mature autonomous driving stack, has enabled driverless vehicles to integrate into Huaqiangbei’s busy logistics network.
During the trial phase, Xiaozhu vehicles will operate primarily around the Sanda Industrial Park, SEG Technology Park, and Huakang Building. They will run on fixed routes and schedules to serve logistics hubs, merchants, and residents. The program is jointly operated by state-owned Shenzhen Bus Group, with MINIEYE providing the autonomous technology, while logistics giants Yunda Express and SF Express participate in field testing.
Each day, the driverless fleet completes three scheduled delivery runs, collecting and distributing parcels across the district. These frequent operations allow MINIEYE’s Xiaozhu vehicles to demonstrate their precision sensing and decision-making capabilities amid Huaqiangbei’s chaotic traffic, while also gathering vital data on performance, road compatibility, and public acceptance.
Technically, the Xiaozhu vehicles are equipped with three LiDAR units and eleven cameras, powered by MINIEYE’s self-developed software stack. Designed to handle the district’s unique traffic chaos—from pedestrians darting between vehicles to mixed motorbike and car flows—the system integrates passenger car-grade production experience with multi-sensor fusion, city-level NOA algorithms, and end-to-end AI models, achieving Level 4 autonomy across urban scenarios.
Safety remains a top priority. Each vehicle undergoes passenger car-level testing and component validation, ensuring reliability and operational safety in real-world use.
The Xiaozhu fleet has also been optimized for short-haul, high-frequency logistics typical of Huaqiangbei. Each vehicle can carry 400 to 700 standard parcels per trip, offering one of the largest load capacities in its class. It also supports multi-stop delivery and reverse collection, enhancing operational flexibility.
The rollout of Xiaozhu in Huaqiangbei marks more than a technical milestone—it signifies AI's integration into everyday life, as intelligent transportation moves from pilot zones into real urban communities.
