RIYADH: US-based FedEx Express launched its first AI-powered sorting robot in collaboration with the robotics solution provider for logistics Dorabot, in China, echoing broader industry trends. The DoraSorter robot, deployed at the 5,200 square meters FedEx South China eCommerce Shipment Sorting Center, is capable of handling small inbound and outbound packages from eCommerce customers. It can carry up to 10 kilograms of packages, covering up to 100 destinations simultaneously. In pursuit of building a smart logistics network, the sorting robot constitutes the company’s latest push in digitizing its operations to handle the growing volumes of e-commerce-related shipments in the region. This comes as the global warehouse automation market is projected to hit $51 billion by 2030, according to McKinsey&Co., with over 4 million commercial robots to be installed at more than 50,000 warehouses by 2025. “With e-commerce taking center stage in the future of retail in our region, the speed with which a parcel can be picked up and delivered to customers’ doorsteps has become a dominant factor in driving the adoption of sorting robots,” president of Asia, Middle East & Africa region, Kawal Preet said. “Bringing DoraSorter to China as a pilot program is a natural choice for us given it’s the world’s biggest e-commerce market with an expected valuation of $3.3 trillion by 2025,” she added. Founded in 1971, FedEx Express, located in the US, is a multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation and e-commerce services.