A lifting system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle, a thruster device, a first wire, a first reel, a second thruster device, a second wire, a second reel, and a controller. When the unmanned aerial vehicle is in a position separated from the ground, the controller detaches the first thruster device and the second thruster device from the unmanned aerial vehicle, causes the first reel to reel out the first wire, detaches the second thruster device from the first thruster device, and causes the second reel to reel out the second wire.

A lifting system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle, a thruster device, a first wire, a first reel, a second thruster device, a second wire, a second reel, and a controller. When the unmanned aerial vehicle is in a position separated from the ground, the controller detaches the first thruster device and the second thruster device from the unmanned aerial vehicle, causes the first reel to reel out the first wire, detaches the second thruster device from the first thruster device, and causes the second reel to reel out the second wire.

An apparatus may move a carriage along a rail. The apparatus may include a frame and one or more sets of teeth. A shuttle may translate with respect to the frame. The shuttle may engage with the carriage to translate the carriage in a first direction. The teeth may extend into a carriage recess of the frame. The teeth may allow the carriage to translate within the carriage recess in the first direction. The teeth may inhibit the translation of the carriage within the carriage recess in a second direction.

An apparatus may move a carriage along a rail. The apparatus may include a frame and one or more sets of teeth. A shuttle may translate with respect to the frame. The shuttle may engage with the carriage to translate the carriage in a first direction. The teeth may extend into a carriage recess of the frame. The teeth may allow the carriage to translate within the carriage recess in the first direction. The teeth may inhibit the translation of the carriage within the carriage recess in a second direction.

A Rail Drone can include: a payload interface, a drivetrain, and a rail platform 515. The Rail Drone can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The Rail Drone can integrate a standardized payload interface and an autonomous electric road vehicle platform into a rolling stock architecture. The Rail Drone can be a stand-alone, payload-agnostic, motive element which can be independently or cooperatively capable of carrying heavy loads across long distances at various cruising speeds.

A Rail Drone can include: a payload interface, a drivetrain, and a rail platform 515. The Rail Drone can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The Rail Drone can integrate a standardized payload interface and an autonomous electric road vehicle platform into a rolling stock architecture. The Rail Drone can be a stand-alone, payload-agnostic, motive element which can be independently or cooperatively capable of carrying heavy loads across long distances at various cruising speeds.

A storage system includes a storage grid structure and multiple container handling vehicles. The storage grid structure includes vertical column profiles defining multiple storage columns, in which storage containers can be stored one on top of another in vertical stacks, and at least one transfer column, the column profiles are interconnected at their upper ends by top rails forming a horizontal top rail grid upon which the container handling vehicles may move in two perpendicular directions, the container handling vehicles are able to retrieve storage containers from, and store storage containers in, the storage columns, and transport the storage containers on the storage grid structure. The storage grid structure includes at least one horizontal transfer section. The storage system includes multiple container transfer vehicles and transfer rails forming a transfer rail grid upon which the container transfer vehicles may move in at least one horizontal direction.

A storage system includes a storage grid structure and multiple container handling vehicles. The storage grid structure includes vertical column profiles defining multiple storage columns, in which storage containers can be stored one on top of another in vertical stacks, and at least one transfer column, the column profiles are interconnected at their upper ends by top rails forming a horizontal top rail grid upon which the container handling vehicles may move in two perpendicular directions, the container handling vehicles are able to retrieve storage containers from, and store storage containers in, the storage columns, and transport the storage containers on the storage grid structure. The storage grid structure includes at least one horizontal transfer section. The storage system includes multiple container transfer vehicles and transfer rails forming a transfer rail grid upon which the container transfer vehicles may move in at least one horizontal direction.

A container accessing station is configured to offer multiple access points where access to each access point may be permitted through an upper working surface of the container accessing station to an underlying container that has been delivered to the access point. The container accessing station includes one or more working surface sections, access panels and blanking-off panels. Each working surface section has a common attachment configuration to allow either the access panel or the blanking-off panel to be fitted as part of the container accessing station at any of the multiple access points.

A Rail Drone can include: a payload interface, a drivetrain, and a rail platform(515). The Rail Drone can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The Rail Drone can integrate a standardized payload interface and an autonomous electric road vehicle platform into a rolling stock architecture. The Rail Drone can be a stand-alone, payload-agnostic, motive element which can be independently or cooperatively capable of carrying heavy loads across long distances at various cruising speeds.