Carleton University - School of Computer Science Honours Project
Winter 2024
Packing Problem Optimization with Drone and Truck Delivery
ABSTRACT
This project addresses an online-inspired offline packing problem faced by an e-commerce
company operating in a city, where orders are received and need to be allocated to trucks and
drones at multiple intervals, corresponding to the length of a day's shift. Currently utilizing
delivery trucks, the company is exploring the integration of drones over additional trucks to
reduce overall delivery costs. The focus is on analyzing sample allocations for multiple intervals
of a shift, utilizing a varying number of drones over an additional truck, and considering package
characteristics such as weight, Manhattan distance required for delivery, and expiry status. By
implementing a hybrid delivery system combining drones with existing trucks, the aim is to
evaluate the potential for reducing the overall cost of delivery over the sample interval.