Technical

Having said that localnet does not require any new discoveries or inventions, one should not underestimate the challenges that it does pose. Several aspects of the system require ongoing development of the underlying components and stretch them in areas of reliability, cost, ruggedness and so on. Some of the key issues are:

Electric Vehicles

The localnet approach lends itself well to current electric vehicle capabilities. Short, predictable routes with flexible, reusable and upgradable battery units ("BatteryBoxes") all help to put it firmly within the capabilities of today's technology. There is always room for improvement however and localnet should help drive these requirements by encouraging the take-up of electric vehicles.

There is scope for specialist chassis design to accommodate the flexible goods/passenger OmniPods. Low floor pans would allow OmniPods to be stacked two high and improve accessibility to the passenger compartments.

Materials

The boxes and the OmniPods in which they are carried need to look smart for years despite daily loading and unloading cycles. The boxes - especially food ones - need to be clean enough to carry food. The boxes need to be light but strong so they can be stacked high.

Dynamic Optimisation

Within each localnet catchment area, there will be thousands of “events” every day. From shipments of boxes arriving from upstream distribution points to individual customer requests. Significant computing power will be needed to continually optimise delivery schedules and routes whilst keeping appropriate contingency cover.

Automated Handling

The more the sorting, filling, emptying and cleaning of boxes can be automated, the better. For some materials this is relatively straightforward. The rationale behind what to focus on automating should not simply be the elimination of human labour. On the contrary, some of the work may be positively beneficial and well suited to the capabilities of some of the residents of the area. Efforts should focus on areas where automation provides a more reliable or higher quality service than can be achieved manually.

Standardisation

This is one of the biggest challenges. Unless the components, vehicles and systems comply with clear and simple standards, it will be impossible for one localnet operation to work smoothly with the next; for economies of scale to be exploited or for operating companies to take over the running of another localnet easily.

Some areas must be standardised as soon as pilot projects have proved the suitability of the proposed components and interfaces. These include:

Challenges