Autonomous Ground Vehicle With Sliding Compartments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current parcel delivery systems face challenges in reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and providing convenience due to high parcel volumes and the need for recipients to travel to locker sites, which may be inconvenient, especially in areas with limited sidewalk access or complex road layouts.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) with a split package compartment design, allowing for simultaneous loading and unloading on both sides, equipped with LIDAR sensors for navigation, and a 2D gantry system for automated parcel handling, enabling efficient delivery to either side of a roadway and reducing the need for multiple loading mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed-site locker service is used for parcel delivery, then parcel security is improved, but recipient convenience deteriorates because recipients must travel to the locker site
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from fixed-site lockers (one-dimensional location constraint) to mobile robotic vehicles (adding temporal and spatial flexibility dimensions). The robotic vehicle can deliver parcels to multiple locations including sidewalks, driveways, and gates, eliminating the requirement for recipients to travel to a fixed locker site while maintaining secure delivery through coded access.
2Quantity of substance
If traditional delivery methods are used to handle increasing parcel volumes, then delivery coverage is maintained, but delivery cost and burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic vehicle system performs autonomous navigation, self-loading, and self-delivery without human intervention. The vehicle autonomously navigates to delivery locations, receives parcels through automated interfaces, and delivers them securely, eliminating the need for human delivery personnel to handle each parcel manually and reducing delivery system burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical delivery operations with an automated robotic system equipped with sensors, processors, and autonomous navigation capabilities. The robotic vehicle uses optical sensors, LIDAR, and computer vision to navigate and deliver parcels, substituting human physical labor with automated mechanical and electronic systems.
3Productivity
If the AGV package areas are extended outward to facilitate loading, then loading efficiency is improved, but vehicle width increases which may hinder navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs movable package areas that can dynamically change position. The package areas are configured to slide outward from the vehicle centerline during loading operations to increase loading efficiency, and slide inward during navigation to reduce vehicle width. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the vehicle to optimize its dimensions for different operational phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable package areas are designed to nest within the vehicle body when not in use. The package areas can be retracted into the vehicle's main structure, allowing the vehicle to maintain a compact profile for navigation while providing extended loading capability when needed, similar to a nested doll configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The AGV design enhances parcel handling capacity, reduces loading time, and allows for autonomous navigation on public roads, minimizing the need for human intervention while maintaining a compact footprint, thus improving delivery efficiency and convenience for recipients.
Implementation Method 1
The AGV may include multiple LIDAR sensors to facilitate autonomous navigation
Data Source
AI summary
A system for parcel delivery may be provided using a package Pickup and Receiving Stations (PRS), sometimes also referred to as a Hub or Local Automated Hub. In some applications, it may be desirable to provide a number of PRSs located in areas having a high volume of local package delivery. Parcels directed to a recipient within an area serviced by the PRS may be delivered in bulk to the PRS by a parcel carrier. The PRS may then attend to final delivery to each parcel's recipient, preferably using an automated ground vehicle (AGV). Additionally or alternatively, consumers may tender packages to an AGV for, e.g., subsequent retrieval by a package carrier for further transport.