Shared Lightweight Autonomous Vehicles for Urban Food Deliveries: A Simulation Study

In recent years, the rapid growth of on-demand delivery services, especially in food deliveries, has spurred the exploration of innovative mobility solutions. In this context, lightweight autonomous vehicles have emerged as a potential alternative. However, their fleet-level behavior remains largely...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFuture transportation Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 634 - 658
Main Authors Ainhoa Genua Cerviño, Sanchez, Naroa Coretti, Elaine Liu Wang, Grignard, Arnaud, Larson, Kent
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Chicago MDPI AG 01.06.2024
Subjects
agent-based modeling
Anniversaries
Automation
Autonomous vehicles
Electronic commerce
emerging technologies
Environmental impact
Food
Literature reviews
Logistics
micro-mobility
on-demand delivery
Robotics
Robots
Simulation
Urban areas
United States > US
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Summary:In recent years, the rapid growth of on-demand delivery services, especially in food deliveries, has spurred the exploration of innovative mobility solutions. In this context, lightweight autonomous vehicles have emerged as a potential alternative. However, their fleet-level behavior remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, we have developed an agent-based model and an environmental impact study assessing the fleet performance of lightweight autonomous food delivery vehicles. This model explores critical factors such as fleet sizing, service level, operational strategies, and environmental impacts. We have applied this model to a case study in Cambridge, MA, USA, where results indicate that there could be significant environmental benefits in replacing traditional car-based deliveries with shared lightweight autonomous vehicle fleets. Lastly, we introduce an interactive platform that offers a user-friendly means of comprehending the model’s performance and potential trade-offs, which can help inform decision-makers in the evolving landscape of food delivery innovation.
ISSN:2673-7590
2673-7590
DOI:10.3390/futuretransp4020030