UAV Delivery Location Routing for Dynamic Final-Mile Drop-Off
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Solution Overview
Problem
The final mile delivery of physical items to user-specified locations is inefficient, relying on human-controlled vehicles and lacking autonomous and aerial delivery solutions that can adapt to dynamic environments and user locations.
Innovation Solution
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system that autonomously retrieves items from a source location, computes routes, and delivers them to user-specified locations, using environmental data and communication with other UAVs to optimize navigation and safety, and can adjust delivery locations based on user movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If human-controlled vehicles are used for final mile delivery, then delivery can be completed with simple technology, but delivery speed and efficiency are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical ground-based delivery systems with an aerial delivery system using drones or aerial vehicles. This substitution enables three-dimensional movement and direct point-to-point delivery, dramatically increasing delivery speed while bypassing ground traffic constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from two-dimensional ground-based delivery to three-dimensional aerial delivery. By utilizing the vertical dimension and aerial space, the system can deliver items directly to locations without being constrained by road networks, significantly reducing delivery time and distance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional ground-based delivery methods are used, then infrastructure requirements are simple, but adaptability to dynamic environments and user locations is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The aerial delivery system incorporates dynamic route planning and real-time location tracking capabilities. The vehicle can adapt its flight path based on changing conditions, user movement, and environmental factors, providing high versatility for delivering to various locations including remote or inaccessible areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The aerial vehicle system is designed to serve multiple delivery locations and scenarios. It can deliver to traditional addresses, remote locations, and even moving targets, making it universally applicable across diverse delivery contexts without requiring location-specific infrastructure.
3Productivity
If autonomous aerial vehicles are deployed, then delivery efficiency and speed improve, but navigation and safety in dynamic environments become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous aerial vehicle incorporates multiple sensors (cameras, LIDAR, GPS, obstacle detection systems) that continuously monitor the environment and provide real-time feedback to the navigation system. This feedback loop enables the vehicle to detect and respond to dynamic obstacles, changing weather conditions, and navigation challenges, ensuring safe operation while maintaining high delivery efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) configured to autonomously deliver items of inventory to various destinations. The UAV may receive inventory information and a destination location and autonomously retrieve the inventory from a location within a materials handling facility, compute a route from the materials handling facility to a destination and travel to the destination to deliver the inventory.