A SUPER-net that delivers

 (SUPER Net) Subterranean Unmanned Packet  Exchange and Routing  Network

A large conveyor system underneath streets to deliver boxes straight to buildings in large cities could be the next step in our connected world. Its goal would be to deliver boxes ("Packets") from any place to its destination within the network  with the help of sensors and routing technology.  

Goals / Vision

    An underground network of moving conveyor belts that send boxes directly to buildings could really make a city truly modern and almost magical. Imagine ordering a package online and it is delivered (popped out of the pipe) straight to your home in minutes. Or ordering your favorite restaurant dinner on your app and within minutes the food pops out in your building. The list is endless. Ordering from your nearest grocery stores would be a breeze -- pressing a few buttons on your app and voila! Groceries appear within minutes at your doorsteps. Office papers, documents etc can all be shipped in a very fast and efficient way.  

  The technology to accomplish this is already there -  conveyor belts, smart routing algorithms, sensors, cameras and robotic mechanical systems to control inputs and outputs to the pipes. 

 With a SUPERNet system, commerce would be vastly faster, efficient, cheap and easy. The possibilities are endless as to what could be accomplished with this system. With logistics taking an underground path, road traffic would be reduced significantly, perhaps over 40-50% in rush hours. Pollution may reduce and perhaps it will be a joy once again to walk in the city streets and sidewalks. 

History of our connected home

Up until late 19th century, homes were largely independent dwelling units, totally disconnected from the world except a little pathway leading up to the doorstep. All goods and services would have to come through this path. By early19th century, some homes began becoming connected to running water and sewage pipes. By the late 19th century, homes in America began to be connected to a third network -- electric network, but it wasn't until 1920s that majority of the homes were connected to the electric network. 

  A huge wave of innovation and productivity followed as a result of this connectivity. Household comforts tremendously increased as people bought fans, heaters, electric lights, radios, music players and many other new products. In the 1930s, homes began being connected to a new network -- telephone network. Again this was a revolution in connectivity as people could communicate with their friends and family over long distances while sitting in their homes. It would take almost half a century before homes began connectivity to another network -- Cable TV in the mid-1970s. It was followed by Internet connectivity in the 1990s. 

  Each of these connections brought huge improvements in quality of life of people and allowed people to live ever more comfortably, communicate better and with the Internet -- access a host of information,  applications and online shopping. Internet has certainly made ordering products online easier, but it still requires a human being to drive up to your house with a package and deliver it. The more products you order, the more trips this deliveryman needs to make. It is still impractical to order a cupcake online or to order a replacement online for your only pair of glasses.  

 Following the above train of thought, it requires very little stretch of imagination to see that some kind of 'product delivery' network could be the the next network to be connected to our homes. It would be the missing link to the 'online shopping experience'. It would allow goods to be delivered seamlessly to our home. It is simply the evolutionary next step in our digital lives. 

Figure 1: Schematic of a SUPERNet. The grid like structure would allow routing packets via multiple routes

Technology

In a nutshell, the idea of SUPER net is to build a underground conveyor belt network (smart pipes) with routers to route the 'packets' and smart 'taps' that act as a portals to the network.  SUPERNet would require a significant upfront investment in a logistical network of pipes as well as smart 'taps' -- end points, which allow delivery of boxes as well as shipment of boxes. SUPERNet would have to set the maximum size, shape and weight consideration on boxes that can pass through pipes. Each box would have its origin and destination tag attached to it by the 'entry tap' that allows it to be routed to its destination. 

 

Similar to the mechanism of an airport baggage conveyor belt,  boxes can be travel across the city, getting routed by smart routers (trackable by sender and receiver) and ending up at these special 'taps'. These taps would need to specially designed to allow a package to exit the SUPERNet, likely in an apartment building's lobby.  

There will be 3 key components of SUPERNet, Pipes, Routers and Taps

Pipes: These will be long conveyor belts that simply move the packets along. Because the pipes will be underground, there needs to be a mechanism to clear stuck traffic and replace broken and malfunctioning parts within pipes. A service channel could be provided within the pipe to send in robots to replace components or to unclog traffic. Sensors would provide real time information on packet location that can be tracked via smartphones. Motorized rollers could be used to move the boxes at speeds according to the nearby packet traffic conditions. 

Figure 2: Cross-section of a Pipe

Routers: These are like traffic signals at junctions and will direct the packets to the pipes that lead to the shortest / fastest way to destination. In a simplistic way, the router could be a kind of turntable that moves a packet coming from one pipe towards another designated pipe. 

Taps  These are the portals into and out of SUPERnet, the entry portals allow intake of packets after entering the destination and would be integrated with a  payment system. These intake Taps will tag the packet with a RFID destination tag that will allow SUPERNet to route the packet to the destination. At the exit points, these Taps will simply spit out the packets. Taps need to be connected to Pipes via a mechanism that allows extraction and insertion of packets from/into flowing traffic. 

Key technical challenges remain: 

- Automatic Repair of underground pipes and routers (Robotic Repairmen)

A SUPERnet pipe is likely to be underground and manual access to each section would probably not be possible. Movable robotic tools could be a part of pipes itself, moving around in the service section to: 

 * check for clogged packets

 * check, maintain and replace motorized rollers that move the traffic

 * maintain the electrical and sensor network within pipes and attached routers. 

 Building a robust robotic maintenance system would likely be the greatest challenge for SUPERnet. 

Once SUPERnet becomes a dense enough network, disruptions in a given pipe would immediately lead to routing the packets through alternate routes allowing time to repair the network with minimal disruption to the overall network. The routing protocols to handle such issues have been extensively tested and refined in the Internet and can similarly be deployed for SUPERNet. 

- Design of pipes in hilly terrain and across water bodies

SUPERnet pipes should be able to move packets horizontally and if needed vertically. In hilly terrain, special inserts may be added to stabilize the conveyor belt to keep the packets from sliding back. Sometimes pipes may have to cross lakes or rivers, which may be done either through existing pathways (alongside existing bridges or tunnels) or new pipes that can be laid on the riverbed or lake bed. 

- Distribution within a large building  

At SUPERnet taps that open to large buildings, it is conceivable that a large number of packets would be flowing in. This can either be handled by a delivery team at the concierge or a mini-SUPERnet could be installed within buildings that deliver packets straight to the respective floors and perhaps even to the intended apartment itself. 

 

Feasibility

While the technology to build such a network very much exists, it has never been attempted perhaps because it would involves a close cooperation of the city municipality and the private companies to build and run the network. 

Financial aspect. 

Even though the initial capital requirements will be significant, SUPERNet will pay for itself with enhanced business efficiency as well as desirability by consumers that could enhance property values. 

SMOHIUDDIN SEP 15, 2020