Chinese truck manufacturer Suning Logistics has completed testing in Shanghai of its level 4 autonomous heavy truck that the firm refers to as the ‘Strolling Dragon’.

Suning announced in a statement last week that the Strolling Dragon has Level 4 self-driving capabilities that it can operate without a human driver in most instances,

According to Suning, the Strolling Dragon is the first self-driving truck to pass logistics campus tests and highway-scenario road tests in China.

“The success of Strolling Dragon’s self-driving tests is a groundbreaking accomplishment for Suning, and represents another step forward in our Online-to-Offline (O2O) smart retail strategy,” said Suning Holding’s Chairman Zhang Jindong.

“Suning’s goal is to develop its logistics business into the biggest and most intelligent retail infrastructure network in China. The promise of automation solutions will not only boost efficiency in Suning’s logistics operations, but also benefit the industry, and consumers, by offering more possibilities, and a better shopping experience.”

Strolling Dragon is equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), deep-learning technologies, radar and what Suning describes as a “superhuman vision” that enables it to accurately recognise obstacles at a distance of over 300 meters, even at high speed. In addition, the unmanned truck can make emergency stops, or avoid obstacles at a response rate of 25 ms, allowing for safe autonomous driving even at a speed of 80 km/h.