Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Coordination for Shared Community Deliveries
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for faster and more efficient delivery methods in e-commerce and mail-order services has highlighted the need for improved logistics, particularly in managing and transporting items within and between communities, where traditional human-driven systems are inefficient and resource-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A network of autonomous vehicles that communicate with a management service to coordinate the delivery and retrieval of items within and between communities, allowing for the sharing of resources and reducing the need for individual ownership of frequently unused items, thereby optimizing delivery routes and reducing maintenance and storage burdens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional human-driven delivery systems are used, then delivery can be completed with simple vehicle technology, but delivery efficiency is low and resource consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery vehicle is equipped with autonomous navigation capabilities including sensors (cameras, LIDAR, GPS), onboard processors, and communication systems that enable the vehicle to navigate, avoid obstacles, and complete deliveries without human intervention. The vehicle autonomously receives delivery requests, plans routes, executes deliveries, and returns to base stations, eliminating the need for human drivers and significantly improving delivery efficiency while reducing resource consumption per delivery.
2Adaptability or versatility
If autonomous vehicles are deployed individually to each location, then delivery coverage is comprehensive, but resource duplication and storage burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple autonomous delivery vehicles operate from shared base stations located at strategic positions (e.g., retail stores, distribution centers). These base stations serve as common repositories for items and coordination hubs for multiple vehicles. The vehicles communicate with each other and with the base stations via a network, allowing them to coordinate deliveries, share route information, and optimize resource utilization across the entire fleet, thereby reducing duplication while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The base stations serve multiple functions: they are repositories for stored items, charging stations for electric vehicles, communication hubs for network coordination, and dispatch centers for assigning deliveries. This multi-functionality allows a single infrastructure to support multiple vehicles and various delivery scenarios, reducing the need for location-specific resources while maintaining versatile delivery coverage.
3Device complexity
If autonomous vehicles operate independently without coordination, then vehicle operation is simple, but delivery route optimization is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicles are equipped with sensors (cameras, LIDAR, GPS, inertial measurement units) that continuously monitor their position, speed, and environmental conditions. This sensory data is fed back to onboard processors and shared with base stations via communication networks. The system uses this feedback to dynamically adjust routes, avoid obstacles, optimize delivery sequences, and coordinate with other vehicles in real-time, significantly improving delivery time efficiency while maintaining manageable operational complexity through automated decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a network of autonomous vehicles, such as autonomous ground vehicles (“AGVs”) that deliver items to and/or from a destination location and/or perform a service. For example, a community (e.g., neighborhood, apartment complex) may include a plurality of autonomous vehicles that deliver payloads to different locations (e.g., homes, apartments) within the community for use or consumption. Some of the payloads are community items (e.g., microwave, stove top, cooking utensils) that are shared by members of the community and transferred between locations within the community by autonomous vehicles.