Like the shift from horse drawn carriages to cars, the emergence of delivery
robots marks a shift from driverless vehicles to automated logistics vehicles
where form follows function. On paper, the business cases are compelling and the
use cases seemingly unbounded. Vehicles may be conventional in the form of
trucks and industrial equipment of all types, or as purpose-built vehicles on
with widely varying cargo capacities. Proof of concepts and pilots are moving
forward on roadways, sidewalks, and doorsteps, as well as in low altitude
airways, ports, and even inside of buildings.
Automated Vehicles and Infrastructure Enablers: Logistics and Delivery
addresses the current state of the industry, benefits of ADVs, challenges, and
expanding use. It also touches on opportunities to design, modify, and expand
infrastructure—both digital and physical—to supports safe and equitable usage.
The report draws on experience and research on these topics in North America,
the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates,
among others.