Amazon.com has recently released a publicly accessible copy of the dataset used during the 2021 Last Mile Routing Research Challenge.
This dataset is further described in a short technical article published in Transportation Science.
The technical article can also be used to cite the dataset in any academic publication that wishes to reference the data:
Daniel Merchán, Jatin Arora, Julian Pachon, Karthik Konduri, Matthias Winkenbach, Steven Parks, Joseph Noszek (2022). 2021 Amazon Last Mile Routing Research Challenge: Data Set. Transportation Science 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2022.1173
The Amazon Last Mile Routing Research Challenge aims to encourage participants to develop innovative approaches leveraging artificial intelligence, machine & deep learning, computer vision, and other non-conventional methods to produce solutions to route sequencing problems that outperform traditional, optimization-driven operations research methods in terms of solution quality and computational cost.
In this webinar we will:
Define the objective of the challenge
Introduce and explain the data
Explain how participants will be evaluated
Outline the timeline of the competition
Answer questions from participants
Webinar Details
When: March 8, 2021, at 9 a.m. ET Watch the recording hereand download slides.
Participation in this research challenge requires an active full-time affiliation with a university or academic research institute – either as a student or as a researcher/faculty member.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept participants whose full-time occupation is not associated with an academic research institution. This includes consulting, government, and commercial industries to name a few.
What is needed to apply?
Before submitting your application please make sure that you have proof of enrollment available to upload as well as an active academic email address.
Can non-participants access data?
We’re working on making the data and instructions of the challenge available to non-participants after the competition has started. Please sign up for our e-mail list, so that you will get noticed if and when that happens.
How can I form a team with other participants?
Registration for the challenge happens on an individual basis, as we need to validate the eligibility to participate for every participant individually. Approved applicants will get access to a dedicated participant portal shortly before the start of the competition. Within the participant portal, you will be able to form a team with other participants.
Participants will have the opportunity to work on a realistic and very challenging problem with large, real-world data sets provided by Amazon that are currently not publicly available to the research community. The problem tackled in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge is applicable to any company and industry which has last-mile operations.
Prizes
The winning team will receive an award of US$100,000. The team with second highest score will receive an award of US$50,000, and the team with the third highest score will receive an award of US$25,000. All awards will be divided equally among all team members.
Recognition
All participants will receive a certificate of participation in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge signed by the Amazon Logistics VP and the Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics.
Career Development
In addition, the top 3 teams may be invited to interview with Amazon for research positions in the last mile organization and may be invited to present their work to students and faculty members at MIT.
Publications
All participants in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be invited to submit an extended academic paper on their work for potential publication in a peer-reviewed proceedings document, and if possible, a special issue of an appropriate academic journal.
The most academically compelling submissions to the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be featured in a scientific review paper that MIT CTL intends to publish in order to raise the awareness of the academic community to the topic and to the contributions proposed by the participants in the challenge.
Similarly, the most promising solutions to the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be featured on a more applied level in a special report on state-of-the-art route sequencing methods, which will be targeting practitioners and will be published online by MIT CTL.
Lastly, MIT CTL will pick out individual contributions by interested participants in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge and feature their work in practitioner-oriented media outlets, social media, or blog posts, targeting a broad public audience.
The Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be open to senior undergraduate students, graduate students and university-affiliated researchers from all over the world.
Participants can compete individually, or in teams of up to three members
All participants will be required to provide proof of full-time enrollment or employment at an accredited college or university during the 2021 spring semester.
Students and researchers affiliated with MIT but not engaged in supporting the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge may participate, but are not allowed to receive assistance from any members of the MIT community involved in the technical and scientific support of the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge.
Ineligible (prohibited) Participants
Individuals who are (a) a paid employee of a private or government entity (other than an accredited academic institution); (b) under US export controls or sanctions; (c) have been a director, officer, employee, intern or contractor of Amazon or its affiliates within the 12 months preceding their application to the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge (“Ineligible Personnel”); or (d) are a member of the immediate family or household of Ineligible Personnel are not allowed to compete in this challenge. Further, the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be void in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, the region of Crimea, and where otherwise prohibited by law.
MIT faculty members, research groups and students that are directly involved in supporting the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge are not eligible to compete in the challenge themselves.
To determine whether you and your team members are eligible to participate in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge, please refer to the detailed participation rules that Amazon will require participants to agree to upon registration for the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge:
For a detailed and comprehensive description of the rules that participants will need to adhere to, please refer to the detailed participant agreement that Amazon will require participants to sign upon registration for the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge.
