Splash247: Robot dog patrols container stacks at the world’s busiest port

Customs officials at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port have introduced an AI-powered robot dog to inspect empty containers, marking a new step in automation at the world’s busiest port by cargo tonnage.

The four-legged robot has been deployed at the Meishan Port Area, where it moves between container stacks, scanning box numbers, checking seal codes and even entering containers to look for foreign objects.

Developed by Unitree Robotics, the robot is equipped with high-resolution cameras, thermal sensors, laser radar and navigation systems that allow it to plan routes and transmit inspection data in real time.

The system is being used mainly for quarantine checks on inbound empty containers. Meishan handled more than 13m teu in 2025, including nearly 3.9m teu of empty containers requiring inspection.

Manual checks have struggled to keep pace with the growing volumes. Traditional inspections typically cover about 200 containers a day and require multiple personnel working in challenging conditions across large container yards.

Customs officials say the robot can inspect up to 100 containers per day during trials, capturing images and verifying container numbers automatically. Tasks that once required several workers can now be completed much faster, with the collected data uploaded instantly for verification and record keeping.

Since testing began, the robot has assisted with inspections of around 2,000 containers, achieving about 92% accuracy in container number recognition and a 95% success rate in detecting foreign objects.

The deployment makes Ningbo-Zhoushan the first port in China to use a quadruped robot for container inspection, extending the use of automation beyond cranes and trucks into the customs process itself. Authorities say further improvements to AI systems and human-robot coordination are planned as the technology is rolled out across other port operations.