Intello City

IoT and urban logistics

VIL is investigating how the Internet of Things (IoT) and urban logistics can be brought together: based on practical cases from urban logistics, it is exploring what possibilities are offered by IoT and how we can make optimum use of them.

Ideal scenario

An ideal scenario: A delivery van is driving around the city. Based on the information available from a variety of sources (traffic, parking spaces, weather forecasts, supply of parcels, other vehicles, etc.), its route is constantly adapted to optimise time and load factor. The goods on board the van and the space still available are calculated continuously so that the consumer, the logistics service provider and other businesses can all factor this in.

Opportunities

The aim of this project is to demonstrate the added value of using the IoT based on specific applications relating to urban logistics: optimisation of delivery times (focus on interaction between shipper, logistics service provider and store/consumer), the delivery location (focus on data exchange between logistics service provider, store/consumer and urban infrastructure) and optimisation of returns.

The result: improved efficiency for logistics service providers and shippers, greater customer satisfaction and less congestion for the city.

Results

• Internet of Things can contribute significantly to more efficient city logistics.
• For this project VIL had tested an autonomously working city micro warehouse using IoT-technology, in collaboration with imec and the city of Antwerp.
• The micro warehouse served as:
  • a mini distribution centre where suplliers could deliver their packages
  • the starting point of an ecological last mile (bicycle couriers, electric cars,…)
  • a collection point
• Tests in the city centre of Antwerp:
  • a micro warehouse with a loading and unloading zone met parking sensors
  • use of an app to lock and unlock the parking zone and the warehouse
• The use of an extra warehouse means an increase in costs in comparison to the way deliveries are made today. The warehouse should work as autonomously as possible using IoT.
• Harmonisation, open systems and the use of uniform standards are necessary to integrate different smart city solutions in one platform.

Partner

The project will be carried out in partnership with imec, which has already acquired experience with ‘City of Things’. The IoT infrastructure of the City of Antwerp will be used in the project.