Autonomous Delivery Route Selection for Fragile Item Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in selecting optimal delivery routes based on the characteristics of the items being transported and the conditions of the road segments, which can lead to inefficient, unsafe, or damaging deliveries.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent delivery system that uses sensing devices and mapping information to identify item characteristics and route conditions, evaluating multiple routes to select the most suitable path for delivery, considering factors like route smoothness, durability, and additional constraints such as fuel and time, and updates mapping data based on user and vehicle feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple routes are evaluated based on item characteristics and road conditions, then delivery safety and efficiency are improved, but system complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the route evaluation process into distinct components: item characteristic analysis, road condition assessment, and route scoring. Each route is evaluated by breaking down its segments and assigning scores based on specific criteria (smoothness, traffic, safety), making the complex evaluation manageable and systematic
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by assigning different weights to various route characteristics (smoothness, traffic conditions, safety) based on item type. For example, fragile items receive higher weights for smoothness, while time-sensitive deliveries prioritize traffic conditions, allowing flexible adaptation without increasing structural complexity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If route selection considers item characteristics and road conditions, then item damage is reduced, but delivery time increases due to evaluation process
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-evaluating and storing road condition data and route characteristics before actual deliveries. This allows the route selection to be made quickly by retrieving pre-computed information rather than evaluating everything in real-time, reducing delivery preparation time while still ensuring optimal route selection for item protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by evaluating specific segments of routes based on their particular characteristics rather than treating all routes uniformly. Each road segment is assessed for its own conditions (smoothness, traffic, hazards), and the evaluation is localized to the specific item requirements, enabling efficient targeted assessment
3Measurement precision
If mapping information is continuously updated with feedback, then route selection accuracy improves, but data processing and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by collecting actual delivery outcomes and route performance data, then using this information to refine and update mapping information. This continuous feedback loop improves route selection accuracy over time by learning from real-world performance, allowing the system to prioritize and store only the most relevant data for future decisions
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a method comprising identifying at least one of a characteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from an origin to a destination; identifying a plurality of possible routes between the origin and the destination using mapping information, the mapping information including for each of the plurality of possible routes, a characterization of each of a plurality of route segments comprising the possible route; evaluating the plurality of possible routes in view of the identified at least one of the item characteristic and the item identity to select one of the plurality of possible routes; and providing the selected one of the plurality of possible routes to a vehicle, wherein the vehicle delivers the item from the origin to the destination via the identified route.