A method for transporting a plurality of articles with a transportation container that can be carried in a transport container of one of a plurality of robots. The plurality of articles is placed in the transportation container. The transportation container is placed in a pickup location at a first location. A robot is navigated to the first location and the transportation container is autonomously moved from the pickup location to the transport container of the robot. The robot is navigated over an outdoor transportation network to a second location and the transportation container is autonomously moved from the transport container to a recipient location at the second location.

An autonomous vehicle includes an autonomously driven vehicle frame with a retractable pivot mechanism disposed on a platform surface of the vehicle frame. Changeable utility pods are configured to attach to and be removed from the vehicle frame by way of the retractable pivot mechanism onboard the frame, and autonomously change the vehicle from a passenger transport to a logistics transport by changing utility pods. A processor provides autonomous vehicle operations that include extending the retractable pivot mechanism from a retracted position recessed in the platform surface of the vehicle frame to an extended position that engages a utility pod conveyor channel. The retractable pivot mechanism engages a conveyor channel disposed on a mating surface of a utility pod, and conveys the utility pod along the conveyor channel to a centered and laterally-aligned position on the vehicle frame by rotating the pod into position once centered over the pivot mechanism.

Cargo systems for use in a vehicle cargo compartment that provide a range of selectable cargo carrying configurations. A cargo shelf system includes a first support wall, a second support wall, at least one set of removable shelves supported between one of the support walls and an interior side panel of the vehicle, and a set of retractable shelves supported between the first and second support walls. A cargo divider system includes a tray bin attached to a frame structure of the vehicle, a load floor supported upon the tray bin, a flip-wall divider supported upon the tray bin, and a plurality of laterally displaceable divider walls. Another cargo divider system includes a storage bin, an independently moveable seat-side load floor, and an independently moveable gate-side load floor, the seat-side load floor and the gate-side load floor collectively covering the storage bin to form a generally planar continuous load floor.

Technologies are generally described for context sensitive display of final delivery information on a consumable delivery vehicle with enroute preparation. A controller may manage fulfillment of orders while the vehicle is enroute by controlling an operation of one or more on-board preparation equipment. The controller may also receive order status information and travel information associated with final delivery destinations. Once the vehicle is at its destination to be used as a hub for final deliveries, one or more displays on the vehicle may display final delivery information to final delivery people based on the status information and the travel information.

The present disclosure is directed toward a storage compartment vehicle (“SCV”) for use in the transport of items for delivery to one or more customers and/or retrieval of items from one or more customers. The SCV may include a plurality of storage compartments that are individually accessible, each of which can contain one or more items. The SCV may navigate to a delivery location and customers may retrieve ordered items from the storage compartments of the SCV. Likewise, customers may return items into storage compartments of the SCV.

A package lift assembly for a delivery vehicle includes a plurality of rods that define at least one shelf. The package lift assembly further includes upper and lower rails. An alteration assembly is operably coupled to the upper and lower rails. Vertical guides are operably coupled to the alteration assembly. A platform is operably coupled to the vertical guides and include a central receiving member. At least a portion of the plurality of rods are selectively disposed within the central receiving member. A motor assembly is operably coupled to the central receiving member and the vertical guides. The motor assembly and the alteration assembly cooperate to translate the platform along the vertical guides and translate the central receiving member between a retrieval position and a holding position.

An autonomous delivery box includes a first memory, a first processor coupled to the first memory, and a delivery box configured to house a package. The autonomous delivery box is configured to travel autonomously between a dispatch base from which the package is dispatched and a handover location at which the package is handed over. The first processor is configured to authenticate opening permission for a door of the delivery box, and to control whether or not the autonomous delivery box is permitted to travel such that the autonomous delivery box is not permitted to travel in a case in which a travel-permitting condition of the autonomous delivery box has not been satisfied at the handover location.

An invention relates to picking, storing, and transporting of products. One objective is to reduce or eliminate manual work, or unnecessary process stages. The invention concerns a trailer (100) for a delivery of the products, wherein the trailer comprises an attachment point (101) for attaching the trailer to a road vehicle, a body with wheels, and a wall (104) attached to the body. The wall includes openings (105, 106) to a trunk that is limited by at least the body and the wall. The trailer comprises closures (109, 110) to cover and disclose the openings, and the trailer is configured to open a first closure (109) in response to a correct identifier. The trailer is further configured to receive a cart to a storing place so that, at the storing place (111), the cart holds a first repository (107) beside the first opening and a second repository (108) beside the second opening.

An autonomous delivery vehicle having one or more caster wheels that may be held off the ground for a portion of the time that the autonomous delivery vehicle travels. Each caster wheel is mounted in a pivot with a centering mechanism to hold the caster wheels in a design orientation. The caster wheel in the design orientation maximizes the view of forward-looking sensors on the autonomous delivery vehicle. The centering mechanism uses a compression spring that drives a follower and swashshaft to apply a rotation force on the caster wheels. The rotational force urges the casters frame and wheels to return to a design position. The rotational force increases with the rotational difference between the caster rotational position and the design position.

An apparatus and method for a mobile transport for delivering temperature-controlled contents includes a plurality of compartments coupled to a vehicle body where each compartment includes an interior space and a front panel defining a wall of the interior space. Each front panel is operable to open and reveal the interior space of its compartment in response to a predetermined condition. A temperature controller is configured to individually control a temperature setting within at least one of the plurality of compartments, and a germicidal controller is configured to provide a germicide to the interior space of each of the plurality of compartments. In operation, the mobile transport receives an order signal to pick up an item from a source, the order signal including the pickup location information, customer identification information, and delivery location information. After the item has been placed in the interior space of a compartment, the temperature controller sets the temperature setting for that compartment according to a type of the item. After arriving at the delivery location, the front panel of the compartment is opened in response to receiving an open request signal satisfying the predetermined condition, the open request signal including information relating to the customer identification information.