In-Transit Product Assembly Using Coordinated Autonomous Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current supply chain networks face inefficiencies in assembling and delivering final products, as they require significant time for transporting various parts to an assembly line and then to customer locations, offering a window for reducing assembly and intermediate transportation time.
Innovation Solution
A multi-autonomous vehicle delivery ecosystem that couples autonomous vehicles carrying product parts along defined delivery routes, optimizing assembly sequences and paths to assemble final products in transit based on machine learning and context-aware communications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional supply chain assembly and delivery method is used, then product assembly and delivery can be completed, but significant time is consumed for transporting parts to assembly line and then to customer locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the assembly process with the transportation process by having autonomous vehicles assemble final products in transit while delivering component parts to customers. Multiple autonomous vehicles couple together during delivery routes, transfer components, and assemble products on-the-go, eliminating the need for separate assembly and delivery phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-planning assembly sequences and pre-positioning component parts on autonomous vehicles before delivery routes begin. The intelligent system determines optimal assembly sequences in advance and ensures required components are loaded on appropriate vehicles ahead of time, enabling seamless in-transit assembly.
2Productivity
If in-transit assembly is implemented, then assembly and transportation time is reduced, but system complexity increases with multiple autonomous vehicles coordinating
Solution Approach 1:
The intelligent system continuously monitors the positions, statuses, and progress of all autonomous vehicles involved in the delivery and assembly process. Real-time feedback enables dynamic adjustment of assembly sequences, vehicle couplings, and component transfers, ensuring coordinated operation despite the complexity of multiple moving vehicles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intelligent system as an intermediary that mediates between multiple autonomous vehicles, managing their coordination, coupling, and assembly operations. This central intelligent controller simplifies the complexity by providing a single point of decision-making that orchestrates all vehicle interactions without requiring direct peer-to-peer communication between vehicles.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present invention disclose a method for coordinating assembly of a final product in transit via an autonomous vehicle. The method includes one or more processors identifying a delivery request from a user for a product. The method further includes identifying suppliers of component parts of the product. The method further includes determining common delivery routes of the component parts of the product, wherein the common delivery routes includes respective routes from locations of the one or more suppliers to a delivery destination of the delivery request. The method further includes determining a delivery path to the delivery destination of the product based at least in part on the common delivery routes. The method further includes generating a final delivery plan corresponding to the product for one or more autonomous vehicles based at least in part on the delivery path and the suppliers of the component parts.