Comparative Analysis of Truck-UAV Collaborative Strategies in Varied Demand Scenarios

To address last-mile delivery problems, integrating trucks and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has emerged as a promising solution, offering reductions in delivery time and distance. While various Truck-UAV collaboration strategies have been proposed, there is a shortage of research examining these strategies’ merits and limitations in different demand scenarios. This study evaluates three prevalent Truck-UAV strategies: Truck-UAV Flying Sidekick (TUFS), Truck-Supported UAV (TSU), and Parallel Truck UAV (PTU). We formulate models, conduct experiments, and assess performance based on the number and spatial distribution of demand points. Findings reveal TSU excels in minimizing distribution distance, whereas PTU balances the workload between trucks and UAVs. This aids in strategically selecting Truck-UAV collaboration patterns, enhancing the efficiency of delivery schedules.