Autonomous Multi-Drop Delivery Vehicle Challenge

Last-mile delivery in Africa costs 5-10 times more than developed markets due to unmapped addresses, poor road infrastructure, and inefficient logistics, excluding millions from e-commerce and hindering economic growth. Traditional delivery vehicles cannot navigate narrow informal settlement paths, human couriers are expensive and limited in capacity, and international autonomous vehicle designs fail on unpaved roads and lack local parts for maintenance. Small businesses cannot afford delivery services, rural areas remain completely unserved, and the lack of reliable logistics constrains everything from healthcare supply chains to agricultural market access. Developers must build autonomous delivery vehicles using 75% local parts that handle multiple drops, navigate unpaved roads, avoid obstacles, carry 50kg payloads, and achieve 20km range, transforming last-mile logistics from a bottleneck into an enabler of commerce.

The Autonomous Multi-Drop Delivery Vehicle Challenge calls for innovative engineers and roboticists to design and build autonomous delivery vehicles specifically optimized for African last-mile logistics challenges. This challenge addresses the critical gap in e-commerce and logistics infrastructure where traditional delivery methods fail due to unmapped addresses, unpaved roads, and high operational costs.

Participants must develop fully autonomous vehicles capable of handling multiple deliveries (5+ stops) in a single trip, with intelligent route optimization that adapts to road conditions and traffic patterns. The vehicle must include an automated package sorting system, navigate unpaved roads and informal settlements, avoid obstacles including pedestrians and animals, and operate reliably in harsh weather conditions. The design must achieve 50kg total payload capacity with modular compartments for different package sizes and maintain a 20km range per charge.

A critical requirement is that 75% of parts must be locally sourced or manufactured, promoting local industrial development and ensuring maintainability. The vehicle should incorporate theft-prevention mechanisms, customer notification systems, and proof-of-delivery capabilities. Solutions must consider the realities of African urban and peri-urban environments including narrow pathways, limited charging infrastructure, and the need for human-friendly interaction.

We particularly value designs that can be manufactured locally, create employment opportunities in assembly and maintenance, integrate with existing informal delivery networks, and provide affordable last-mile solutions for small businesses. The platform should transform e-commerce accessibility, reduce delivery costs by 60%, and enable reliable delivery to previously unreachable areas.