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.