A robot dog navigates smoothly through the passage. [Photo/Deep Robotics]

As spring rain nourishes the tea buds, Hangzhou's West Lake Longjing core production area has entered the crucial harvest season. To enhance efficiency and preserve tea quality, local tech firm Deep Robotics has deployed its advanced robots in the Longwu tea gardens, helping farmers transport freshly picked tea leaves and accelerating the digital transformation of the traditional tea industry.

Known for its premium status, Longjing tea must be delivered to processing workshops within one hour of picking to retain its signature flavor. However, the mountainous terrain of the region — characterized by narrow, steep pathways — has long made transportation labor-intensive and time-consuming.

The company's Lynx M20 wheeled-legged robot and X30 quadruped robot, in collaboration with JD Logistics, now handle this critical "first kilometer" of the supply chain.

With the ability to navigate passages as narrow as 50 centimeters and climb slopes of up to 45 degrees, the robots efficiently shuttle baskets of fresh leaves from the fields to processing sites.

The initiative demonstrates how embodied AI can address real agricultural challenges, offering a replicable model for smart agriculture and rural vitalization while expanding the practical application of intelligent robotics.

A robot dog carries freshly picked tea leaves down the hill. [Photo/Deep Robotics]