Master’s in Autonomous Last-Mile Logistics Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in autonomous last-mile logistics engineering: 12 modules covering sidewalk delivery robots, autonomous vans, delivery drones, navigation and perception, logistics optimisation, customer experience, fleet operations, safety, urban regulation and economics, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Analyse autonomous solutions for last-mile logistics.
Design safe sidewalk delivery robots.
Assess drone delivery operations in line with the regulations.
Implement social navigation in pedestrian environments.
Optimise mixed delivery fleets.
Analyse the applicable urban regulations.
Develop an autonomous last-mile logistics project.
Who it's for
- Delivery robotics engineers.
- Autonomous logistics operations managers.
- Logistics optimisation engineers.
- Drone operations specialists.
- Urban logistics consultants.
- Autonomous delivery product managers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter logistics.
What you'll work with
- ISO 13482 (safety requirements for personal care and mobile service robots)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (rules and procedures for operating unmanned aircraft)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 (unmanned aircraft systems and third-country operators)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664 (U-space regulatory framework)
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (Machinery Regulation)
- ISO 3691-4 (driverless industrial trucks and their systems)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR — personal data protection)
- ISO 21448 (SOTIF — safety of the intended functionality)
- ROS 2 Nav2
- Google OR-Tools
- Gazebo
- QGIS
- AnyLogic
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Growth of e-commerce and deliveries1.2Last-mile costs in the supply chain1.3Urban externalities of delivery1.4Autonomous delivery solutions1.5Sidewalk robots, vans and drones1.6Automated lockers and pick-up points1.7Players and operators in the sector1.8Pilots and commercial deployments1.9Barriers to adoption in cities1.10Case study: analysis of a sidewalk robot service
2.1Mechanical design of sidewalk robots2.2Wheeled locomotion and kerbs2.3Sensors and perception on sidewalks2.4Interaction with pedestrians2.5Navigating pedestrian crossings2.6Capacity and energy range2.7Safety and limited speed2.8Supporting teleoperation2.9Vandalism and theft2.10Lab: sidewalk robot navigation with Nav2
3.1Cabinless delivery vehicles3.2Autonomous vans with a delivery person3.3Double parking and loading3.4Access to customer compartments3.5Perception in residential streets3.6Interaction with urban traffic3.7Type approval of driverless vehicles3.8Charging and energy management3.9Commercial cases in the US and China3.10Practical exercise: ODD of an autonomous van
4.1Types of delivery drones4.2Winch and parachute delivery systems4.3Urban flight planning4.4European UAS regulation4.5BVLOS operations and the specific category4.6U-space and traffic management4.7Safety of third parties on the ground4.8Noise and social acceptance4.9Medical delivery cases4.10Workshop: SORA analysis of a delivery operation
5.1Localisation in pedestrian environments5.2Sidewalk and accessibility maps5.3Detection of kerbs and obstacles5.4Pedestrian motion prediction5.5Social navigation and proxemics5.6Crossing roadways5.7Indoor navigation and lifts5.8Robustness to rain and snow5.9Pedestrian environment datasets5.10Lab: social navigation in simulation
6.1Route planning with mixed fleets6.2Assigning orders to robots6.3Micro-hubs and mothership vans6.4Delivery windows and time slots6.5Optimisation with OR-Tools6.6Delivery fleet simulation6.7Returns management6.8Demand forecasting6.9Logistics service indicators6.10Practical exercise: VRP with robots and a mothership van
7.1Notifications and order tracking7.2Authentication at delivery7.3Interaction with the robot7.4Contactless deliveries7.5Service accessibility7.6Incident management7.7Customer satisfaction7.8Deliveries to businesses7.9Brand communication7.10Workshop: delivery flow in an app
8.1Delivery control centres8.2Teleoperation and remote assistance8.3Robot maintenance and cleaning8.4Battery management8.5Deployment in new areas8.6Coordination with local authorities8.7Fleet operating indicators8.8Scaling operations8.9Operating costs8.10Lab: fleet operations dashboard
9.1Risks for pedestrians and users9.2ISO 13482 mobile robot standards9.3Functional safety of the robot9.4Sidewalk safety testing9.5Cybersecurity of connected robots9.6Camera privacy in public spaces9.7Liability insurance9.8Incident management9.9Drone certification9.10Practical exercise: risk analysis of a sidewalk robot
10.1Regulation of robots on sidewalks10.2Municipal delivery by-laws10.3Regulation of driverless vehicles10.4Regulation of drones in cities10.5Low-emission zones and logistics10.6Use of public space10.7Experiences of pioneering cities10.8Labour regulation of delivery10.9Regulatory trends in logistics10.10Case study: proposed by-law for robots
11.1Cost per delivery across modes11.2Investment in fleet and infrastructure11.3Economies of scale in autonomous delivery11.4Emissions and carbon footprint11.5Congestion and use of space11.6Impact on employment11.7Operator business models11.8Alliances with retailers11.9Adoption scenarios11.10Workshop: comparative cost per delivery
12.1Analysis of the area and demand12.2Selection of delivery technology12.3Logistics operation design12.4Navigation and safety design12.5Customer experience12.6Local regulatory analysis12.7Economic and environmental evaluation12.8Conclusions and pilot plan12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, making it compatible with full-time work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is ROS 2 Nav2, Google OR-Tools, Gazebo, QGIS and AnyLogic, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures from sidewalk navigation tests, delivery fleet simulation and risk analysis of drone operations. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: ISO 13482, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (UAS), Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 (UAS), Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664 (U-space), Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (machinery), ISO 3691-4, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), ISO 21448.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with ROS 2 Nav2, Google OR-Tools, Gazebo, QGIS and AnyLogic, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme's software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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