A system for transporting items in a cargo area 14 of a vehicle 10 comprises at least one sensor 16 configured to be installed in the cargo area 14 and to determine whether at least a portion of a cargo area 14 is available to receive an item to be transported. The sensor 16 may include a camera 18 for taking pictures of the cargo area 14 or a weight sensor which detects a force exerted thereon such that the availability status can be determined from the pictures taken or forces detected. The system further comprises a computing device 20 for offering available cargo area portions for rent over the internet to customers wishing to transport items. The system enables available trunk space in a public or private vehicle to be utilised by fitting the sensor 16 in the vehicle trunk, transmitting availability data from the sensor 16 to the cloud via a mobile application, and selling the available space on a virtual marketplace.
System and method for transporting items
2017-09-20
Patent
Electronic Resource
English