Analysis of Drone-based Last-mile Delivery Systems under Aerial Congestion: A Continuum Approximation Approach

This paper presents a systematic analysis and design framework for a spectrum of last-mile delivery systems that leverage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Four distinct modes are considered: (1) direct drone deliveries from a fixed depot; (2) drone deliveries from parked trucks that carry bulk parcels to customer neighborhoods; (3) drone deliveries from nonstopping trucks that tour customer neighborhoods; and (4) as a benchmark, traditional truck-based home deliveries. The authors present a new continuum-approximation approach that is used for analysis of both truck routing and aerial-UAV traffic. The authors compared the operational cost and efficiency of different delivery schemes to reveal how a certain scheme is the most efficient under various scenarios. The authors demonstrate the applicability of their model on expansive real-world roadway networks and further conduct analysis on grid networks, yielding key analytical insights. The drone-based delivery is demonstrated to be superior to conventional truck-only delivery, suggesting a significant potential for socioeconomic benefit. It is observed that when servicing a relatively low demand over a small area, dispatching drones directly from the distribution facility is the most efficient method. As the demand grows or spans a wider area, collaborative strategies are preferred, as they better cope with certain aspects, such as the long line-haul cost or the ramping aerial congestion, by striking a balance between efficiency and flexibility.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.36501/0197-9191/23-014
• Dataset URL:
  • http://doi.org/10.4231/3R21-H908
• Dataset URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/73060
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/73006
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program. Supporting dataset available at: http://doi.org/10.4231/3R21-H908; https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/73060
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

  Illinois Center for Transportation
  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Urbana, IL  United States  61801

  Center for Connected and Automated Transportation

  University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
  Ann Arbor, MI  United States  48109

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • She, Ruifeng
  • 0000-0002-1617-9821
  • Ouyang, Yanfeng
  • 0000-0002-5944-2044
• Publication Date: 2023-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 42p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Costs; Delivery service; Drones; Trucks
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01904237
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: ICT-23-014, UILU-ENG-2023-2014
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747105
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 8 2024 12:19PM