WoodleyRobotics

2022 Innovation Project

The S.A.F.E. Delivery System

Have your packages ever been stolen? Damaged? Misdelivered? Do you have to wait all day for the delivery truck?

The “Last Mile” of delivery is where some of the biggest problems — porch pirating, damaged items, cost, and the environmental footprint — come into play:

The World Economic Forum says that if we do nothing, by 2030 carbon emissions from delivery traffic will increase by 32% — about 6 million tons — and traffic congestion by 21%.
CNBC says over a third of Americans have had packages stolen.
Canopy Planet estimates 3 billion trees are cut down every year to meet paper packaging demand, and Green Citizen says 240 thousand miles of bubble wrap is produced annually — about the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

The “Last Mile” is time-consuming, expensive, and environmentally unfriendly. We set out to help improve this.

Our solution

S.A.F.E. — Self-serve, Accessible, Flexible, and Eco-friendly — is a trailer with built-in racks of lockers that roll easily in and out. S.A.F.E. uses inflatable lockers to ensure your package isn’t damaged in transport.

Unlike stationary lockers or traditional doorstep delivery, our solution completely eliminates extra warehouse packaging and streamlines the loading process, reduces emissions and last-mile delivery cost, and gives customers earlier access to their purchases.

Our impact

7 → 1

Reduction in trucks and drivers needed. Each S.A.F.E. truck deployed cuts emissions by 327 tons a year.

33,000+

Parcels per trailer, per year, with packaging eliminated — over 33 million across 1,000 trailers.

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Porch pirating. Items stay secure until they’re picked up.

The S.A.F.E. Delivery System is cost effective for retailers, convenient for customers, and environmentally friendly for us all.

So the next time you order online, we hope you’ll consider the impact your choices make on the environment — and look for the S.A.F.E. Delivery Service in your neighborhood soon!

Learn more about packaging waste and delivery truck emissions

2020 Innovation Project

Stormwater management

The team at WoodleyRobotics is working on solutions for water management.

If you don’t know what stormwater management is, you might think: “What’s the big deal? It’s just water, right?” Wrong. Stormwater and stormwater run-off pollutes the water and is unhealthy for humans and animals, and it affects us every day right here in our community.

There are thousands of stormwater management facilities in Montgomery County, MD alone. Many of those become clogged and damaged over time, making them less effective. Manual maintenance is costly and inefficient. We are developing robotic solutions to make it possible to inspect, clean, and repair facilities more regularly and cheaply.

A clogged stormwater management facility — Robotic devices can help inspect, clean, and repair stormwater management facilities.

Simple things you can do in your own community

Pick up pet waste
Redirect downspouts so the water empties onto a lawn or landscaped area
Use a rain barrel at the bottom of a downspout to water your garden — you may even be eligible for a rebate in some areas like ours
Test your soil so you apply the right amount of fertilizer
Replace paved areas or lawns with landscaping or trees
Use pervious pavement for your driveway
Add a rain garden to your yard

For more ideas, check your local government websites for information on your community’s stormwater efforts. Here are a couple from our area:

Saving the World through Robotic Domination.

Competitions

Awards & recognition

Robot Game

Competition runs

Sponsors

With thanks for their support

The Crew

Meet our Robotics Scientists!

2022 Innovation Project

The S.A.F.E. Delivery System

Our solution

Our impact

Learn more about packaging waste and delivery truck emissions

2020 Innovation Project

Stormwater management

Simple things you can do in your own community