Veículo aéreo não tripulado : uma alternativa ao transporte de carga

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the feasibility (technical and operational) of using an UAV for last-mile deliveries, particularly in home deliveries of small parcels and its competitiveness (cost/service level) in urban freight transport as an alternative to motorcycles. The transport system was divided into four physical subsystems (road, vehicle, terminal and control), focusing more on the vehicle. A quadcopter UAV weighing 1.4 kg (operational empty weight) was mounted and used to test payload capacity, power consumption and vehicle autonomy. A commercial quadcopter UAV weighing 1.3 kg (operational empty weight), similar to the mounted UAV, was also used in the tests to check the speed of this type of vehicle. Motorcycle tests were also performed with the objective of evaluating speed, energy consumption and a ratio between Euclidean and road distances. The results showed that the UAV is able to transport small parcels with autonomy for short and medium distances in urban freight transport and with advantage in terms of travel time, energy consumption, financial cost of the energy consumed and gas emission.