China Water Transport Network: Ningbo Customs Empowers Port Inspection Upgrade with "Robot Dog"

"The robot dog can flexibly shuttle between containers, accurately completing inspection tasks around the clock, with efficiency more than doubled compared to manual operations," said Zhang Jian, Deputy Section Chief of Logistics Monitoring Section II at Meishan Customs, recently at the Meishan Port Area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port.

As a benchmark intelligent terminal of Ningbo Zhoushan Port, the Meishan Port Area achieved a container throughput exceeding 13 million TEUs in 2025, including 3.858 million TEUs of foreign trade import empty containers. Amid surging business volumes, traditional manual inspection faces limitations including strained human resources, with daily inspection capacity of only 200 containers, and compromised operational quality due to extreme weather conditions. Enhancing regulatory efficiency has become a shared demand for both customs authorities and enterprises.

To address these challenges, Ningbo Customs recently introduced a customized AI quadruped robot equipped with dual-optical pan-tilt units, industrial-grade cameras, and high-precision navigation modules. It features six core capabilities including automatic patrol, container number recognition, and interlayer detection. "It can adapt to uneven ground and high-risk environments, accurately identifying foreign objects and disease vectors through laser measurement and image calculation technologies," added Zhang Xiaorong, a relevant executive from the robotics company. This industrial-grade robot is specifically designed for customs scenarios, with outstanding mobility and compatibility.

Since the full-scale trial operation began on January 6, the robot has achieved remarkable results: as of January 29, it has cumulatively assisted in inspecting 1,655 physical containers, with a container number recognition accuracy rate of 92%, foreign object detection rate of 95%, and a peak daily inspection capacity of 100 physical containers. "This not only ensures the safety of customs officers but also meets the demand for rapid turnover of empty containers, representing a significant achievement in smart customs construction," said Wu Renmin, Deputy Director of Meishan Customs.

Editor-in-Charge: Zou Yuxuan

February 2, 2026 / China Water Transport Network (Meishan Customs)

Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of China News Service. The China News Service version shall prevail.