Hesai Group (HSAI) announced Tuesday it's partnering with Meituan's Keeta Drone brand to supply lidar sensors for the next generation of urban delivery drones. The deal positions Hesai's technology as a core component in what could become a substantial commercial drone delivery network.
Under the agreement, Hesai will provide its second-generation solid-state FTX lidar to power Keeta's low-altitude logistics operations. The goal is straightforward: make drone delivery work reliably in dense urban environments where obstacles, weather and nighttime conditions complicate autonomous flight.
Keeta's Growing Network
Keeta Drone isn't exactly starting from scratch. The company has built an integrated air-and-ground delivery system that spans 65 routes across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, plus operations in Hong Kong and Dubai. It's moved beyond delivering just food to handling pharmaceuticals and emergency supplies, racking up more than 740,000 deliveries so far.
The company's fourth-generation long-range drone, the M-Drone 4L, is being positioned as the first commercial delivery drone with lidar as standard equipment. It combines lidar with vision systems and GNSS for sensor fusion, creating multiple layers of environmental awareness.
Why Lidar Matters for Drones
Hesai says its FTX lidar delivers 3D perception that helps drones spot small obstacles like power lines and tree branches—exactly the kind of hazards that can ruin a delivery flight. More importantly, the sensor maintains stable performance at night and in challenging weather like rain or fog, conditions where camera-based systems struggle.
Keeta demonstrated the technology's capabilities at a launch event with a two-kilometer nighttime flight guided entirely by lidar navigation, without relying on satellite signals or vision systems. The demonstration showed how lidar technology can enable precise navigation through low-altitude urban corridors even when other sensing methods fall short.
Technical Improvements
Hesai's latest FTX version brings meaningful upgrades. Resolution doubles compared to the previous generation, while the physical design shrinks considerably. Perhaps most significantly for drone applications, the unit cuts weight by 66%, which reduces both integration complexity and manufacturing costs.
Hesai expects large-scale production and deliveries to kick off in 2026, giving Keeta time to refine its drone platform around the new sensors.
HSAI Price Action: Hesai Group shares were down 1.36% at $22.44 at the time of publication on Tuesday.
