Principal Investigator Kent Larson
Project Website http://cp.media.mit.edu/lastmile/
MIT Media Lab Changing Places Group and MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics are developing a decision support tool for calculating delivery service areas. Logistics experts can use the platform to present parametric models of logistics in a real-time, changeable environment. Researchers expect the tool to improve collaboration and consensus when optimizing distribution networks for last mile logistics.
The tool uses the tangible interactive matrix (TIM) developed at MIT Changing Places Group. TIM uses an array of optically tagged Lego objects, computer vision, and 3D projection mapping.
Users operate the tool by manipulating tangible objects that represent distribution centers. All together, the objects represent a distribution network. Meanwhile, algorithms provide real-time performance evaluation of the users’ configuration. Key performance metrics in a demonstration include average delivery cost and customer demand saturation.
The use of both tangible bricks and geospatial models led us to adopt a voxel-based method for data abstraction. (Note: a voxel is a multi-dimensional pixel). The result is a mathematical model uniquely structured to be compatible with TIM.