IoT Techniques and Elements for Drone Package Delivery Networks
and reliable upstream and downstream network connections to support the efficient upload and download of data between the drone ’ s onboard storage and the Internet backbone .
Some drone docks have external sensors to measure weather conditions or sky survey cameras whose readings are reported to the network control systems . Some drone docks are developing capabilities to swap drone payloads , but they usually don ’ t have the advanced management capabilities of smart drone mailboxes .
5.2.3 SMART DRONE MAILBOXES
Smart drone mailboxes usually contain the sheltering , charging , networking and sensing functions of drone docks , but also contain advanced cargo management systems . As shown by the examples of smart mailbox products from companies like Antwork [ 29 ], Valqari [ 30 ] and Matternet [ 31 ], they are typically tall enough ( over two meters ) so people on the ground are physically separated from the elevated drone landing pad , improving the safety of bystanders .
They often contain centering mechanisms that mechanically shove the drone from its slightly imprecise landing location to a specific position on the landing surface to align the cargo management systems of the drone exactly with the mailbox ’ s cargo manipulation robotics . They often have a cargo hatch that separates the landing surface from the interior of the mailbox . Robotic actuators open the hatch , and an elevator-like mechanism reaches through it to interface with the drone ’ s cargo management system and moves the cargo to various destinations inside the mailbox . Smart drone mailboxes typically have one or more secure package lockers capable of receiving outgoing cargo from humans , and robotically loading it on the drone , or receiving packages from a drone and securing it in a locker for later collection by a human .
A few smart mailboxes , for example the system developed by Antwork , have interfaces between aerial drone delivery systems and autonomous ground vehicle delivery systems , capable of bidirectionally exchanging cargo between autonomous vehicles for both air and ground delivery modes .
A large advantage of these robotic , multi-locker drone mailboxes is that only the humans authorized to access a specific package can touch it ( the lockers won ’ t open for anyone without the proper credentials ), and no human can access the cargo within the mailboxes or in flight on a drone . Porch piracy is eliminated , and package custody can be rigorously tracked throughout the delivery process .
5.2.4 DRONE-ENABLED WAREHOUSES
The above ground support systems are most suitable for the distributed endpoints of a drone cargo delivery network , spread across the landscape to be conveniently close to cargo recipients . However , for large-scale central warehouses , fulfillment centers or delivery kitchens , those solutions may not be optimal . One could use several ( or several dozen ) modified smart drone mailboxes , a dispatch system that manages which deliveries go into which lockers , coordinates a
40 August 2023