Hybrid UAV-Land Delivery Docking for Last-Mile Range Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing UAV delivery systems for last mile delivery face limitations such as limited range, speed, weight capacity, and inability to operate in non-ideal conditions like inclement weather, preventing widespread adoption.
Innovation Solution
A last mile multi-transportation delivery system (LMDS) that coordinates between land-based and aerial transportation providers, allowing UAVs to 'hitchhike' on land-based vehicles for transportation, enhancing range, speed, and weight capacity, and enabling operations in various conditions by combining land-based and aerial delivery systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If UAVs are used for last mile delivery, then delivery speed and flexibility are improved, but range and weight capacity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery journey is segmented into multiple phases: land-based transportation phase and aerial transportation phase. The UAV travels via land-based vehicle for long-distance transport to extend range, then switches to aerial phase for final delivery. This segmentation allows each mode to operate in its optimal performance zone.
Solution Approach 2:
A land-based vehicle acts as an intermediary between the warehouse and the final delivery location. It carries the UAV for portions of the journey, effectively extending the UAV's operational range without requiring the UAV to have sufficient range for the entire trip.
2Adaptability or versatility
If UAVs are used for last mile delivery, then operational flexibility is improved, but ability to operate in non-ideal conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between land-based and aerial transportation modes based on environmental conditions. When weather conditions are unfavorable for flight, the system transitions to land-based mode, maintaining delivery operations without interruption. This dynamic adaptation ensures reliability across varying conditions.
3Device complexity
If standalone UAV delivery systems are used, then system complexity is reduced, but efficiency and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges land-based transportation and aerial transportation into a unified hybrid delivery system. By combining the strengths of both modes (range and speed of land vehicles, flexibility and access of UAVs), the system achieves higher overall efficiency and reliability than either mode alone.
4Ease of operation
If UAVs operate independently, then coordination overhead is reduced, but resource utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The land-based vehicles serve multiple functions: they transport goods, provide mobile charging stations for UAVs, and act as temporary storage facilities. This multi-functionality reduces the need for dedicated infrastructure and improves overall resource utilization across the delivery network.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable medium to perform operations including: registering one or more aerial vehicles and one or more land-based vehicles with a last mile delivery system, where the one or more aerial vehicles and the one or more land-based vehicles are associated with aerial vehicle information and land-based vehicle information, respectively; determining to generate a land-based vehicle transportation request for a first aerial vehicle that is performing a delivery; matching, based on the land-based vehicle transportation request and the land-based vehicle information, the first aerial vehicle with a first land-based vehicle; and generating and sending transportation instructions to the first aerial vehicle and the first land-based vehicle, where the transportation instructions include: (i) a starting location where the first aerial vehicle docks to the first land-based vehicle, and (ii) a destination to which the first land-based vehicle transports the first aerial vehicle.