Autonomous Delivery Vehicle With Pivoting Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current delivery systems for packages, items, and goods are inefficient, particularly in last mile deliveries, as they require large vehicles to navigate through urban areas, leading to traffic congestion, manual labor, and potential safety hazards, while also not accommodating varying delivery protocols or environmental conditions effectively.
Innovation Solution
A modular vehicle system with a chassis, pivoting riding platform, and interchangeable containers that can be configured into different modes for various delivery contexts, including a push-cart style, ride-on style, and nested storage, equipped with motors, sensors, and wireless locking mechanisms for efficient navigation and secure cargo handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If large trucks are used for delivery, then cargo capacity is improved, but traffic congestion and maneuverability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery system is segmented into two parts: a large truck for bulk cargo transport and a smaller autonomous vehicle for final delivery. The truck delivers multiple autonomous vehicles to various locations, where they then perform local deliveries independently, eliminating the need for the large truck to navigate narrow streets.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous vehicle acts as an intermediary between the large truck and the final delivery location. It receives cargo from the truck and completes the last-mile delivery, allowing the truck to remain in areas suitable for large vehicles while the smaller autonomous vehicle handles urban navigation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If drivers manually carry packages, then delivery flexibility is improved, but labor intensity and safety hazards worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle performs deliveries independently without requiring manual handling by drivers. It autonomously navigates to delivery locations, loads and unloads cargo, and returns to the truck, eliminating physical strain and safety risks associated with manual package handling.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical labor by drivers is replaced with an automated mechanical system. The autonomous vehicle uses sensors, processors, and actuators to perform tasks previously requiring human physical intervention, such as navigating, loading, and unloading packages.
3Ease of operation
If trucks are temporarily parked in driving lanes, then delivery access is improved, but traffic flow worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery function is extracted from the large truck and transferred to the autonomous vehicle. The truck can park in designated areas without blocking traffic, while the autonomous vehicle handles the actual delivery by traveling to the destination, eliminating the need to block driving lanes for delivery operations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple delivery equipment types are used, then context adaptability is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle is designed as a universal platform that can perform multiple delivery functions. It can transport various types of cargo, navigate different terrains, and operate in diverse environmental conditions, replacing the need for multiple specialized delivery equipment types.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle system includes a chassis, a plurality of wheels coupled to the chassis and supporting the chassis for rolling on a surface, and a riding platform coupled to the chassis. The riding platform is for supporting a user behind the chassis when the riding platform is in a downward pivoted state. A linkage connects the riding platform to the chassis for selective pivotal motion relative to the chassis between an upward pivoted state in which the riding platform is pivoted into a position to allow a user to walk behind the chassis and a downward pivoted state in which the user may ride or step on the platform.