A Concordia-led team of researchers has developed a groundbreaking model that rethinks the way packages are delivered in urban environments.
It's the focus of a paper they recently published in the European Journal of Operational Research . In it, they introduce a hybrid system that integrates electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous delivery robots and self-service parcel pick-up lockers to improve delivery efficiency — particularly for priority customers like Amazon Prime members.
The study proposes a novel logistical framework that allows EVs to dispatch delivery robots or direct customers to nearby lockers, reducing time and emissions while offering more flexible service. Prime customers are prioritized for same-day delivery via robot or EV, while non-priority customers may be directed to self-pickup lockers or scheduled for next-day delivery.
It is the first study to simultaneously incorporate EVs, delivery robots, parcel lockers and priority-based customer service.
Using a customized optimization algorithm, the researchers demonstrated that this approach cuts route and vehicle use costs by up to 53 per cent compared to traditional EV-only methods. Their metaheuristic solution also outperformed existing industry tools like Gurobi on large-scale delivery simulations.
Beyond ecommerce, this research could benefit other sectors that rely on rapid, customer-centric logistics — such as health care, grocery delivery and municipal services. The model's adaptability also makes it a valuable tool for smart city planning, especially in dense urban areas where delivery access is limited.
The paper was written by Concordia PhD candidate Nima Moradi, Chun Wang , director of the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science , Fereshteh Mafakheri at l'École nationale d'administration publique and Roberto Baldacci at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar.
Read the cited paper: " Robot-aided electric vehicle routing problem with lockers and prime customers prioritization ."
