Potential applications of unmanned ground and aerial vehicles to mitigate challenges of transport and logistics-related critical success factors in the humanitarian supply chain

Abstract

The present decade has seen an upsurge in the research on the applications of autonomous vehicles and drones to present innovative and sustainable solutions for traditional transportation and logistical challenges. Similarly, in this study, we propose using autonomous cars and drones to resolve conventional logistics and transport challenges faced by international humanitarian organizations (IHOs) during a relief operation. We do so by identifying, shortlisting, and elaborating critical success factors or key transport and logistics challenges from the existing humanitarian literature and present a conceptual model to mitigate these challenges by integrating unmanned ground (UGVs) and aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the humanitarian supply chain. To understand how this novel idea of using UGVs and UAVs could help IHOs, we drafted three research questions, first focusing on the identification of existing challenges, second concentrating on remediation of these challenges, and the third to understand realization timeline for UGVs and UAVs. This lead to the development of a semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire to record the respondents' perspectives on the existing challenges and their potential solutions. We gathered data form, ten interviewees, with substantial experience in the humanitarian sector from six IHOs stationed in Pakistan and Austria. In light of the feedback for the second research question, we present a conceptual model of integrating UAVs and UGVs in the relief chain. The results of the study indicate that technological advancement in mobility withholds the potential to mitigate the existing challenges faced by IHOs. However, IHOs tend to be reluctant in adapting UGVs compared to UAVs. The results also indicate that the adaptation of these technologies is subject to their technical maturity, and there are no significant differences in opinions found between the IHOs from Pakistan and Austria.

Implementation of Detection System for Drowsy Driving Prevention Using Image Recognition and IoT

“…As a function of the system, the beep sounds when the driver's eyes do not stare to the front. It is designed to prevent driving during drowsiness, and an alarm is activated by checking the blink time and speed (cycle) of the eyelid [5,6]. However, it is still in the design phase and has not been developed.…”

Asset tracking, condition visibility and sustainability using unmanned aerial systems in global logistics

“…UAS have been introduced in global logistics systems to address some of these challenges, supporting warehouse, freight and logistics operations ( Baniasadi et al, 2020 ; Vamsi et al, 2020 ; Foumani et al, 2018 ; Zhang et al, 2018b ), providing real-time information on material and equipment condition and quality ( Azmat and Kummer, 2020 ). UAS have been deployed in Wal-Mart warehouses, and have cut inventory time from thirty days to just one, with costs, compared to a human employee, cut approximately in half ( Companik et al, 2018 ).…”

“…To address power, connectivity and communication issues, UAS have been linked to terrestrial delivery vehicles, which can serve as power sources and replenishment sites, making other deliveries before the UAS returns to the vehicle ( Chiang et al, 2019 ). As such, UAS can serve as last mile delivery vehicles in remote areas ( Aurambout et al, 2019 ; Chiang et al, 2019 ), particularly in humanitarian ( Azmat and Kummer, 2020 ), disaster response and recovery ( Ejaz et al, 2020 ) and medical settings ( Zubin et al, 2020 ). UAS can also offer a number of sustainability advantages, reducing or transferring transportation costs to ‘greener’ modes ( Azmat and Kummer, 2020 ), and perhaps reducing the 15% of global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions attributed to the transportation sector ( Rodrigue, 2019 ; Kamble et al, 2020 ).…”

“…As such, UAS can serve as last mile delivery vehicles in remote areas ( Aurambout et al, 2019 ; Chiang et al, 2019 ), particularly in humanitarian ( Azmat and Kummer, 2020 ), disaster response and recovery ( Ejaz et al, 2020 ) and medical settings ( Zubin et al, 2020 ). UAS can also offer a number of sustainability advantages, reducing or transferring transportation costs to ‘greener’ modes ( Azmat and Kummer, 2020 ), and perhaps reducing the 15% of global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions attributed to the transportation sector ( Rodrigue, 2019 ; Kamble et al, 2020 ). UAS themselves can also incorporate sustainable power sources, materials and payloads, presenting a smaller carbon footprint.…”

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“…The importance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) for future urban logistics development has been stated by a handful of journal articles or institutions. Researchers have highlighted that these advancements in the automobile sector have the potential to significantly reduce the transport and logistics-related challenges in complicated urban settings [1,4]. However, most of the articles in the field either hold a general description of autonomous trucks without distinguishing an industry, or they present various logistical innovations in the field of courier, express, and parcel (CEP) companies, such as drones, light electric freight vehicles, self-driving parcels or droids [5,6].…”