U Power Limited, an EV battery power solution provider in China, has launched an AI technology-based autonomous unmanned battery swapping logistics vehicle after undergoing road testing. This also marks a new milestone for the company in the comprehensive electrification strategy for sustainable logistics operations.
The new vehicle, UOTTA, achieves the ability of autonomous battery swapping and self-driving capabilities across long-haul, regional, and last-mile delivery scenarios.
The rapidly increasing global demand for last-mile logistic delivery today requires delivery vehicles to operate continuously for 24 hours under high-intensity conditions. Therefore, this creates significant demand for autonomous driving and energy replenishment capabilities in electric logistics vehicles.
According to the Founder and CEO of U Power, Jia Li, UOTTA integrated autonomous driving technology with an automated battery swapping system providing an optimal solution for achieving fully automated, unmanned operations.
As available autonomous logistics vehicles in the market often use manual plug-in charging for energy replenishment, it’s hard to achieve truly unmanned operations. On the other hand, UOTTA is equipped with battery swapping technology and AI technology allowing it to have the ability of self-adaptive autonomous battery swap station matching in terms of perception, control mechanisms, and decision-making.
The autonomous battery-swapping vehicle uses an AI algorithm system, which is based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture, to address multi-sensor data streams.
In addition, its data can connect to various systems to offer more effective transportation. Integrated with the AI algorithm system allows it to make decisions in real-time as well as set its journey which also helps to improve its response in unexpected situations when running on the road.
Because it allows the complete automation and unmanning of electric vehicle battery swap stations, it achieves unmanned energy replenishment for autonomous vehicles. The launch of UOTTA is also the world’s first fully autonomous new energy vehicle operating solution.
According to the company, autonomous logistics vehicles with self-operating battery swap capability have potential in various logistics parks and industrial parks.
As the demands for industrial internet and factories under the low-carbon economy are increasing nowadays, automated green logistics systems centered on autonomous vehicles have become necessary transportation means for these facilities.