Design of a small, mobile package carrier
Automation and efficient routing
Internet connection to get order details
The objective of this project is to develop an autonomous delivery robot capable of safely and efficiently transporting packages and food to customers. The current systems used for these types of deliveries require large amount of people and transportation. This system would be a more eco-friendly alternative, and lessen the burden on the postal system.
This system is most effective in places that are densely populated, where large amounts of packages are being delivered. Although it becomes more difficult to maneuver, it would be more effective than using large trucks. It can also be used to deliver food orders, which would be less expensive than paying a driver.
A very suitable environment for testing would be the Stevens Campus. There are plenty of packages and food deliveries, as well as students that would prefer they were delivered. Some aspects of the environment would present challenges, such as the hilliness, but this would be a cost-effective way to test our designs.
The robot can be a simple chassis on wheels, large enough to carry few standard packages. GPS will be used to provide an optimal pathway to the destination, while ultrasonic sensors will be used to avoid smaller obstacles. A possible alternative to this could be using cameras and image processing to provide a more accurate view of its surroundings. In order to keep updates on when the package was delivered, we will include IoT capabilities to receive remote details of the order.
Autonomous Delivery Robot
Optimal routing system to minimize delivery time
Ultrasonic sensor based obstacle avoidance
Wi-Fi connectivity to keep track of delivery progress
Hardware
Arduino / Raspberry Pi - $35
Ultrasonic sensors - $5 x 6 = $30
Brushed DC Motor - $7.99 x 4 = $31.96
Robot body and package housing - approximately $300 for printing, materials, and design costs
GPS Module for Arduino - $30
Software
Obstacle detection algorithm - $0 for open source library or $250 for custom development
IoT connectivity - Basic cloud service - $5-20 per month
Routing algorithm - $0 for open source or $300 for custom algorithm
Total Costs
Hardware: $426.96
Software: $5-20 per month, and we would choose to design these algorithms ourselves, costing only time