On March 21, Shenzhen Urban Transport Planning Center Co., Ltd. ("Shenzhen Urban Transport") announced that its application for low-altitude infrastructure equipment and RFID cross-border low-altitude logistics projects has officially obtained the first batch of pilot qualifications from the Hong Kong government, marking a key step in the cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the field of smart logistics. This innovative attempt to deeply integrate RFID (radio frequency identification) technology with the low-altitude economy is expected to reshape the efficiency and safety of cross-border logistics and inject new momentum into the integrated development of the Greater Bay Area. The RFID technology in this pilot project will be supported by Yingxin Technology.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee delivers a speech
Difficulties of traditional cross-border logistics between the mainland and Hong Kong
As one of the most economically active regions in the world, the demand for cross-border logistics between the mainland and Hong Kong continues to be strong. However, due to differences in logistics costs and infrastructure restrictions, the traditional logistics model still faces many challenges. Specifically, the following is an analysis based on the difficulties of logistics in the two places:
1. High logistics costs and many intermediate links
2. Information asymmetry, difficult to track the entire process
3. Infrastructure restrictions, difficult terminal distribution
Advantages of RFID cross-border low-altitude logistics
The difficulties of cross-border logistics between the mainland and Hong Kong are essentially a balance between efficiency and cost. To achieve "next-day delivery" and "door-to-door" services, the introduction of RFID technology happens to be the "golden key" to solve the problem: each piece of goods is affixed with a unique RFID tag to achieve real-time tracking "from warehouse to air", and customs clearance data is automatically uploaded to reduce manual errors. When the drone is equipped with an RFID reader and writer, it can scan the cargo information in batches, and the traditional 50-hour inventory of 10,000 pieces of goods is shortened to less than 2 hours, and the labor cost is reduced by 60%.
As a technology provider, Changsha Yingxin Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. ("Yingxin") has become a key support for the project. Its ultra-high frequency RFID chip has been fully localized and has three core advantages:
Long-distance identification: supports drones to dynamically scan goods during flight and complete information exchange without landing;
Strong anti-interference: data can still be transmitted stably in complex weather or electromagnetic environments to ensure the reliability of cross-border logistics;
Controllable costs: Compared with imported chips, Yingxin chip solutions can significantly reduce hardware costs and help large-scale promotion.
This pilot is also inseparable from the joint efforts of the two places. On the Shenzhen side, Shenzhen Urban Transport has planned Shenzhen low-altitude routes and take-off and landing points. Its subsidiary Shenzhen Urban Transport Low-altitude Operation Co., Ltd. is preparing flight services such as cultural tourism, commuting, and medical emergency, which may form an "air corridor" with RFID logistics drones in the future.
On the Hong Kong side, the SAR government has launched the first batch of 38 low-altitude economic projects, covering logistics distribution, emergency rescue and other fields. For example: SF Fengyi drone plans to deliver medicines to residents on outlying islands, and RFID tags will ensure that the traceability of medicines is correct; Meituan drone's first delivery route has been prepared, and it is expected to achieve rapid transportation of emergency materials such as takeout and documents between Shenzhen and Hong Kong within the year.
Written in the end
The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government has clearly stated that it will promote the linkage between the low-altitude economy and mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, and break through key technologies such as drone chips and flight control systems. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-border drone logistics test route will be completed within the year, giving priority to the transportation of medical cold chain and high-value electronic products; and in the next few years, a "RFID+low-altitude" standardization system will be built to promote the three-dimensional and intelligent upgrading of the Greater Bay Area logistics network, which is expected to reduce cross-border logistics costs by 15%-20% within 3 years.
With the advancement of the pilot projects of Shenzhen Urban Transport and Yingxin, RFID cross-border low-altitude logistics is moving from conception to reality. This "Bay Area wisdom" will not only reshape the logistics landscape of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, but also provide an innovative sample for global cross-border logistics. In the future, when drones carrying goods with RFID tags shuttle across the urban skyline, a more efficient and safer logistics era has begun.
This paper is from Ulink Media, Shenzhen, China, the organizer of IOTE EXPO (IoT Expo in China)
