A new disaster recovery algorithm prioritizes fairness in aid delivery

When natural disasters or extreme weather events hit, delivering aid quickly and efficiently to those affected is crucial. Humanitarian relief efforts commonly rely on the combination of trucks and drones as a "tag team" to solve the biggest challenge in a disaster: damaged or otherwise inaccessible roads. The trucks act like mobile headquarters, hauling massive amounts of food and water as close to the site as possible. When a bridge is washed out, or roads become flooded or impassable, the drones take over, doing the so-called last-mile delivery, flying over obstructions to deliver urgent supplies like water or medicine where needed.