Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for High-Density Residential Delivery

Abstract

The new technologies are reaching all the fields of our daily lives to improve our living standards. In this changeable period, a new concept of delivery is appearing. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) delivery is already a reality, but how can this device be implemented in a high-density residential environment? This paper proposes a holistic delivery system with UAVs in urban environments where the façades can interact with the drones, allowing reception and delivery in the same house. The UAVs are controlled by a network that will enable constant communication. The façade integrates an element able to receive the package and preserve it, including control temperature, until the client arrives home. The most notable drawback of the UAVs is the flying hour limitation, so intermediate urban elements must be designed too. These elements will play the role of charging places, distribution points, and even cooling storage places. The self-sufficiency of these urban stations will be ensured by integrating photovoltaic panels and thermoelectric modules, responsible for both the energy consumption and the cooling/heating needs. The system implies a coordination challenge between several fields: electronics, informatics, UAVs, delivery companies, thermal control and architecture. The aim is to achieve an implemented delivery system that avoids traffic jams and pick-up points, facilitating the work for the enterprises involved and the clients, who would only have to install a final interface system in the façade.