Delivery Robot Route Coordination for Automated Loading Handoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous delivery robot services face challenges in efficiently managing the interworking protocol between delivery robots, service providers, users, and urban infrastructure, leading to complexities in route planning, loading/unloading operations, and overall delivery process coordination.
Innovation Solution
A method for operating a delivery robot service that involves receiving delivery information, assigning a delivery robot, generating route information, and coordinating loading and unloading operations through communication with associated devices and infrastructure, ensuring seamless integration with urban environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If autonomous delivery robots are deployed to perform deliveries, then delivery service coverage and convenience are improved, but coordination complexity and operational reliability deteriorate due to challenges in managing interworking protocols between robots, service providers, users, and urban infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a service provider server as an intermediary that manages communication and coordination between delivery robots, users, and urban infrastructure. The server receives delivery requests, generates route information, coordinates loading/unloading operations, and handles interworking protocols, thereby reducing the coordination burden on individual robots and improving overall system reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system is segmented into distinct functional modules: robot control module, route planning module, loading/unloading coordination module, and communication module. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks and simplifies the management of interworking protocols by distributing coordination responsibilities across multiple specialized subsystems
2Reliability
If comprehensive route planning and coordination systems are implemented, then delivery process reliability is improved, but system complexity and computational requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The service provider server acts as a centralized intermediary that handles complex route planning, coordination, and protocol management. By concentrating these computationally intensive tasks in a dedicated server rather than distributing them across multiple robots, the system achieves high reliability while managing complexity centrally
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary route planning and coordination actions before actual delivery operations begin. The server generates complete route information, determines loading/unloading sequences, and pre-coordinates with urban infrastructure in advance, ensuring reliable execution without requiring complex real-time decision-making during delivery
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple pick-up and delivery locations are serviced in a single delivery request, then service versatility is improved, but route optimization complexity and operational time worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The server performs preliminary route optimization by determining the optimal sequence for visiting multiple pick-up and delivery locations before the delivery robot begins its journey. By pre-calculating the most efficient route that minimizes travel time and operational duration, the system can service multiple locations without excessive time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The route planning system dynamically adjusts the delivery sequence based on real-time conditions, location distances, and delivery priorities. The server can reoptimize routes during execution if conditions change, allowing flexible handling of multiple locations while minimizing total operational time through adaptive route adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous robot-based unmanned delivery method and apparatus are disclosed. A method of operating a delivery robot service provider that manages a delivery robot includes: receiving delivery information in response to a delivery request from a user; assigning a delivery robot to perform the delivery request; generating route information based on the delivery information and robot map information; transmitting the route information to the delivery robot; checking whether the delivery robot arrives at a pick-up location where goods are loaded according to the delivery request based on first delivery status information transmitted from the delivery robot; in response to the delivery robot arriving at the pick-up location, transmitting loading request information to a goods loading-related device associated with loading the goods; receiving loading completion information indicating that the loading has been completed from the goods loading-related device; and transmitting the loading completion information to the delivery robot.