Y4R1 - Evaluating the Adoption and Impact of Autonomous Delivery Modern Technologies
The tremendous potential of technology-driven innovations to address the inefficiencies in last mile deliveries has prompted e-commerce companies, retail chains, logistic providers and technology start-ups to invest in sidewalk autonomous delivery robots (SADRs) and road autonomous delivery vehicles (RADRs). The growing appeal for utilizing SADR and RADR technologies arises from the increased demand for same-day deliveries in business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce and the associated challenges for logistics providers (Cárdenas et al., 2017; Jennings and Figliozzi, 2019; Wang et al., 2016). Apart from improving the delivery efficiency, autonomous vehicles have the potential for initiating a more sustainable, and customer focused delivery practice with limited externalities on road congestion, noise and CO₂ emissions (Hardi and Wagner, 2019; Stolaroff et al., 2018). Due to the rapid advancements sensing technology and artificial intelligence algorithms, large-scale deployments of autonomous delivery vehicles are on the verge of becoming a reality in some delivery scenarios with known and repeatable routes. SADRs and RADRs developed by Amazon, FedEx, Starship, and Nuro are already deployed and being tested in multiple U.S. cities. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need for contactless deliveries that avoid the risk of person-to-person infection has made it clear that autonomous robot deliveries have many advantages. Consumers, businesses, and governments have switched from cautious beta testers into eager early adopters. Despite this unprecedented requirement necessitated by the pandemic, SADRs and RADRs need to be deployed by logistics service providers and Government agencies in a way that is generally accepted by the public. In fact, if not widely accepted by the public, the development and introduction of autonomous delivery vehicles can be a substantial waste of resources for logistics service providers and vehicle developers alike. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct micro-level behavioral research on user acceptance early in the deployment roadmap of delivery robots to be able to design, develop and promote them as an accepted alternative to its conventional delivery practices (i.e., van-based human delivery). One of the contributions of the proposed project is to address this urgent research gap by investigating the psychological factors that determine public acceptance of ADRs (Autonomous Delivery Robots) from an end-consumer perspective. To evaluate delivery robot adoption rates and tradeoffs it is necessary to model how vehicles are likely to evolve. Technology is evolving rapidly and new players like Tesla are entering the heavy and light truck electric vehicle (EV) market pushing up freight EV efficiency and capabilities (Ulrich, 2020). Delivery cost is an important variable that is changing as technologies and vehicles are evolving. In addition, cities are reevaluating how to assign and prioritize roadway and curb infrastructure during and after COVID-19 (Davies, 2020). Autonomous delivery vehicles can also interact with smart curb and parking management technology in ways that may increase delivery efficiency and resource utilization by reducing double parking and congestion (Jennings and Figliozzi, 2019). ADRs are also likely to affect not just the last mile but also the last echelons of supply chains.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Active
- Funding: $266740
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Contract Numbers:
69A3551747120
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Sponsor Organizations:
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Managing Organizations:
Freight Mobility Research Institute
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL United States 33431 -
Project Managers:
Stearns, Amy
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Performing Organizations:
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton
Boca Raton, FL United States 33431 1900 SW Fourth Avenue, Suite 175
Portland, Oregon United States 97201University of Memphis
Center for Intermodal Freight Transportation Studies
3815 Central Avenue
Memphis, TN United States 38152 -
Principal Investigators:
Kaisar, Evangelos
Figliozzi, Miguel
Golias, M
Mishra, Sabyasachee
- Start Date: 20210604
- Expected Completion Date: 20210824
- Actual Completion Date: 20210824
- USDOT Program: Advanced Research
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Acceptance; Autonomous vehicles; COVID-19; Delivery service; Delivery vehicles; Environmental impacts; Evaluation; Logistics; Mobile robots; Technological innovations
- Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Environment; Freight Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01779771
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Freight Mobility Research Institute
- Contract Numbers: 69A3551747120
- Files: UTC, RIP
- Created Date: Aug 25 2021 10:58AM