Some embodiments provide apparatuses and methods useful to providing control over movement of motorized transport units. In some embodiments, an apparatus providing control over movement of motorized transport units at a shopping facility comprises: a central computer system comprising: a transceiver; a control circuit; a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of: obtain, from one or more of the communications received from the motorized transport unit, route condition information comprising information corresponding to an intended route of travel; obtain additional route condition information detected by one or more detectors external to the motorized transport unit; detect an object affecting the intended route of travel; identify an action to be taken by the motorized transport unit with respect to the detected object; and communicate one or more instructions.

Some embodiments provide apparatuses and methods useful to providing control over movement of motorized transport units. In some embodiments, an apparatus providing control over movement of motorized transport units at a shopping facility comprises: a central computer system comprising: a transceiver; a control circuit; a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of: obtain, from one or more of the communications received from the motorized transport unit, route condition information comprising information corresponding to an intended route of travel; obtain additional route condition information detected by one or more detectors external to the motorized transport unit; detect an object affecting the intended route of travel; identify an action to be taken by the motorized transport unit with respect to the detected object; and communicate one or more instructions.

The freezer enclosure is maintained at a temperature equal to or less than the freezing point of the beverage. Gears, rotatably mounted on a shelf, include sets of aligned interconnected gears and gears connecting the gears in the sets. A drive gear is mounted to and moveable with the shaft of a motor. The drive gear is connected to one of the gears in one of the sets to drive the gears in each set. A coaster-shaped member is moveable with the gears and supports a bottle which contains the beverage. The bottle is locked to the member such that it rotates with the member. The motor continuously rotates the bottle to agitate the beverage to keep the beverage from freezing. Internal baffles in the bottle increase the agitation resulting from the rotation.

A dispensing device, comprising a container, one or more support members mechanically coupled to one or more of the lateral walls, a base which has one or more supporting arms and a cover element mechanically coupled to one or more of the supporting arms to remain fixed while said container rotates around said rotation axis. The container includes a storage portion defined by a circumferential wall and two or more lateral walls with a dispensing opening defined in the circumferential wall. The supporting arm(s) support rotation of the container from a closed state to an open state and vice versa. The rotation is held around a rotation axis defined by a location of the support member(s). The cover element covers the dispensing opening when the container is rotated into the closed state and does not cover the dispensing opening when the container is rotated into the open state.

A dispensing device, comprising a container, one or more support members mechanically coupled to one or more of the lateral walls, a base which has one or more supporting arms and a cover element mechanically coupled to one or more of the supporting arms to remain fixed while said container rotates around said rotation axis. The container includes a storage portion defined by a circumferential wall and two or more lateral walls with a dispensing opening defined in the circumferential wall. The supporting arm(s) support rotation of the container from a closed state to an open state and vice versa. The rotation is held around a rotation axis defined by a location of the support member(s). The cover element covers the dispensing opening when the container is rotated into the closed state and does not cover the dispensing opening when the container is rotated into the open state.

Some embodiments include apparatuses providing control over movement of motorized transport units at a retail facility, comprising: multiple self-propelled motorized transport units; a wireless communication network; and a central computer system, wherein the central computer system comprises: a transceiver; a control circuit; and a memory storing computer instructions that when executed cause the control circuit to: receive an override command, from a worker associated with the retail facility, to cause a first motorized transport unit of the multiple motorized transport units to implement one or more actions; confirm a valid authorization of the worker to override one or more operating limits of the first motorized transport unit; and override the one or more operating limits and communicate one or more instructions to the first motorized transport unit configured to cause the first motorized transport unit to implement the one or more actions in accordance with the override command.

Some embodiments include apparatuses providing control over movement of motorized transport units at a retail facility, comprising: multiple self-propelled motorized transport units; a wireless communication network; and a central computer system, wherein the central computer system comprises: a transceiver; a control circuit; and a memory storing computer instructions that when executed cause the control circuit to: receive an override command, from a worker associated with the retail facility, to cause a first motorized transport unit of the multiple motorized transport units to implement one or more actions; confirm a valid authorization of the worker to override one or more operating limits of the first motorized transport unit; and override the one or more operating limits and communicate one or more instructions to the first motorized transport unit configured to cause the first motorized transport unit to implement the one or more actions in accordance with the override command.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for sorting items discarded in a shopping facility. A system for sorting discarded items comprises a motorized transport unit configured to travel around discarded items placed in a sorting area in the shopping facility, the motorized transport unit comprises a sensor device and an item mover device, an item characterization database storing characteristics corresponding to a plurality of items likely to be found in the shopping facility, and a central computer system. The central computer system is configured to receive data from the sensor device on the motorized transport unit, determine an item characteristic of an item among the discarded items in the sorting area, determine a sorting category of the item from a plurality of predefined categories, and cause the motorized transport unit to move the item, with the item mover device, from the sorting area into a category area.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for sorting items discarded in a shopping facility. A system for sorting discarded items comprises a motorized transport unit configured to travel around discarded items placed in a sorting area in the shopping facility, the motorized transport unit comprises a sensor device and an item mover device, an item characterization database storing characteristics corresponding to a plurality of items likely to be found in the shopping facility, and a central computer system. The central computer system is configured to receive data from the sensor device on the motorized transport unit, determine an item characteristic of an item among the discarded items in the sorting area, determine a sorting category of the item from a plurality of predefined categories, and cause the motorized transport unit to move the item, with the item mover device, from the sorting area into a category area.

Some embodiments provide methods and systems of monitoring trash cans. A central computer system of a shopping facility identifies a first motorized transport unit and a second motorized transport unit; communicates routing instructions based on a mapping of the shopping facility to each of the first and second motorized transport units directing the first and second motorized transport units to a trash can receptacle, wherein the second motorized transport unit transports a replacement second trash can; communicates trash can removal instruction to the first motorized transport unit to cause the first motorized transport unit to remove the first trash can from the trash can receptacle; and communicates a trash can replacement instruction to the second motorized transport unit to cause the second motorized transport unit to place the second trash can into the trash can receptacle in place of the first trash can.