The Last-Mile Robotics Workshop: Envisioning Effective, Sustainable and Human-Centric Delivery

Zoom Link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81113896836?pwd=Os2twWtHAoQvr5p4woQuWpMXoU4OD1.1

Abstract

The last-mile delivery, which focuses on delivering goods to customers, is expensive, challenging and contributes significantly to global carbon emissions. The recent pandemic and expansion of e-commerce have accelerated the adoption of last-mile ecosystems, including micro-fulfilment, dark stores, and a variation of ground and aerial robots. Moreover, the norms of last-mile delivery are changing with evolving consumer needs and industry requirements for sustainability and human-centricity. The next wave of autonomous last-mile robots will be human-centric and energy-efficient, combining advanced technical capabilities with collaborative aspects. 

This workshop aims to explore and discuss existing and envisioned robot-assisted last-mile delivery models, systems and technologies, identifying key challenges, research gaps, and real-world problems. The key questions to be addressed include

 1.  The lessons learned from past last-mile delivery robot projects 

2. The autonomous features of last-mile robots that address human acceptance and include collaborative elements to enhance customer experience, 

3.  The opportunities and challenges in using heterogeneous fleets for rapid and frequent delivery, 

4.  How to advance and mature the technologies utilized in last-mile robots, and 

5. How existing regulations and standards influence the technological development and deployment of these systems to ensure that they are safe,  environmentally friendly and sustainably deployed. 

The workshop will encourage poster/paper submissions exploring innovative, creative and futuristic solutions for last-mile delivery using intelligent robots. The workshop aims to build a research community to engage and contribute to realising next-gen last-mile robots and sustainable delivery models, bridging the gap between researchers, logistic operators and entrepreneurs.

Important Dates 

• Submission Deadline Extented to : August 31st, 2023

• Notification of Publication Decision: September 5th, 2023

• Workshop Date: October 1st, 2023 (Full Day Workshop)

• Paper Format: IROS conference standard pdf format and be a maximum of 4 pages excluding references

• Submission Link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=lmdw-iros2023

Submission Guidelines

We welcome authors to submit extended abstracts (short papers) showcasing relevant work on workshop topics, including field-collected dataset analysis, robot technologies and platforms, interactive demonstrations, and innovative, creative, and futuristic solutions for last-mile delivery using intelligent robots.

• Format: Submissions should be in IROS conference standard PDF format.

• Page Limit: Maximum of 4 pages (excluding references).

• Review Process: All submissions will undergo peer review based on relevance, technical quality, and ethics.

• Presentation Opportunities: Accepted papers will be presented as posters, with some selected for spotlight talks during the workshop.

• Publication: Accepted papers will be available on the workshop website.

Awards

• Best Paper Award: 1000$ USD

• Best Poster Award: 500$ USD

List of Topics (but not limited to)

• Navigation strategies for last-mile delivery

• Novel robotic platforms for last-mile delivery

• Social aware behaviours and human-robot interaction modalities

• Last-mile drone delivery-related technologies and advancements

• Communication, Coordination, Task allocation and Control strategies for heterogeneous fleets

• Optimal routing and scheduling

• Perception and sensor fusion for enhanced environmental awareness

• Case studies on last-mile delivery activities, including impact analysis on sustainability and the effect of regulations on commercialization