University of Southern Denmark researchers develop AI for food delivery logistics

Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark have developed a new artificial intelligence model designed to optimize food delivery logistics. Unlike traditional systems that prioritize only speed or cost, this model balances efficient routing, timely delivery, and courier capacity.

Published in the journal Transportation Science, the study tested the model using data from 650,000 orders from the Chinese delivery platform Meituan. The results indicated that the AI could reduce the number of couriers required per order by up to six percent while maintaining an on-time delivery rate of over 95 percent. Additionally, the model improved order bundling, grouping up to 24 percent of orders together.

While the technology is functional, it has not yet been implemented by commercial delivery applications. The research team, including Yihua Wang, is seeking collaborations with delivery platforms to test the model under real-world operating conditions, specifically mentioning interest in the Danish market player Wolt.