Drone Delivery Node Network for Faster Urban Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional delivery systems using ground-based vehicles are limited by proximity and traffic, leading to delayed deliveries and restricted restaurant selection for users, especially in urban areas.
Innovation Solution
A network system utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) with an infrastructure of landing pads and nodes that integrate with buildings or vehicles, enabling efficient item delivery through drone transportation and ground-based vehicle support, with route optimization and order aggregation to enhance delivery efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ground-based vehicles are used for delivery, then delivery can be provided to users, but delivery is limited by proximity and traffic causing delayed deliveries and restricted restaurant selection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from ground-based delivery to aerial delivery using drones, moving the delivery system into the third dimension (air space). This dimensional change allows drones to bypass traffic congestion and geographical obstacles on the ground, significantly reducing delivery time and expanding the service area beyond what ground vehicles can achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces drones as an intermediary delivery mechanism between restaurants and users. These drones serve as intermediate carriers that can pick up items from restaurants and deliver them directly to users, eliminating the need for ground-based delivery vehicles and their associated traffic constraints.
2Productivity
If ground-based vehicles are used for delivery, then delivery service is provided, but traffic and geographical obstacles cause delivery delays
Solution Approach 1:
By deploying drones in the aerial dimension, the system avoids ground-based traffic and geographical barriers entirely. Drones can fly directly from origin to destination in straight lines, bypassing roads, intersections, and obstacles that constrain ground vehicle movement, thereby dramatically improving delivery efficiency and reducing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the delivery function from the constrained ground-based vehicle system and relocates it to the unconstrained aerial drone system. This separation removes delivery operations from the problematic ground traffic environment, allowing deliveries to proceed independently of road conditions and geographical obstacles.
3Productivity
If multiple drones are deployed for delivery, then delivery range and efficiency are increased, but system complexity increases with multiple nodes and coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs nodes with multi-functional capabilities, allowing each node to serve multiple purposes: docking for drones, charging batteries, swapping batteries, and potentially relaying items between drones. This universality reduces the need for specialized infrastructure at each location, simplifying the overall system despite having multiple distributed nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automated docking, charging, and battery swapping mechanisms at nodes, allowing drones to service themselves without human intervention. This self-service capability reduces operational complexity by eliminating manual tasks and enabling autonomous drone operation across the distributed node network.
Data Source
AI summary
A network system provides delivery of items using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones. The network system uses an infrastructure of nodes that include landing pads to dock drones, as well as interfaces to provide and receive items from docked drones. Nodes may be stationary (e.g., fixed at a building rooftop or public transit station) or mobile (e.g., mounted to a vehicle). The network system may determine a route for delivery of an item, where a drone transports the item for at least a portion of the route. For example, the route may include multiple waypoints associated with nodes between which drones travel. For other portions of the route, the network system may request a provider to transport the item using a ground-based vehicle.