Provided herein is a system for precise delivery of an item to a consumer by an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle. The system performs image recognition algorithms to detect a primary entrance, navigate from a street address to the primary entrance, and to validate the customer upon delivery.

An autonomous system for loading or unloading an autonomous vehicle, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, includes one or more module(s) that include at least one of a compartment or a sub-compartment where the module(s) are located in an autonomous vehicle, a robotic movement apparatus configured to autonomously move items to or from the module(s), one or more processors, and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous system to autonomously move an item, using the robotic movement apparatus, to or from the at least one module of the autonomous vehicle.

Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles coordinated by a fleet management module. Each vehicle may be configured to receive a modular unit, wherein the modular unit is configured to secure a consumer product.

Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles for delivering a food or beverage item to a customer. The autonomous vehicle herein may comprise of storage units that are easily configured to effectively and efficiently carry different types of food or beverage items, including a temperature control system configured to maintain a target unit temperature for different types of food or beverage items.

Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles for containing, securing, and delivering at least one of a first item and at least one of a second item after a customer places an order for a first item, operating autonomously or semi-autonomously, and a fleet management module for coordination of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet.

Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of electric autonomous vehicle for apportioned display of a media, operating autonomously and a fleet management module for coordination of the autonomous vehicle fleet. Each autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle comprising a screen configured to display the media. Activation, deactivation, brightness modification, in combination with specific media selection enables more efficient media display.

An autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles for providing an assortment of items to a customer or a potential customer after such customer or potential customer summons the one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles in an unstructured open or closed environment. Each autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle comprises one or more compartments configured to contain and secure the assortment of the items to be selected once the summoned autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle arrives to a customer or potential customer.

A managing apparatus for positioning rental vehicles includes a memory storing instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the managing apparatus to access model information and location information for a plurality of autonomous vehicles, receive a request including a delivery location and a chosen model for renting, select an autonomous vehicle of the chosen model from among the plurality of autonomous vehicles based on the model information, the location information, and the delivery location, instruct the selected autonomous vehicle to fully-autonomously or semi-autonomously travel to the delivery location, and instruct the selected autonomous vehicle to switch to manual operation mode at the delivery location for manual operation by a vehicle rental customer.

An online vending system for vending physically any unique food items. The vending system has a food rack system and individual robots for carrying the food items to and from the food rack system. Each food item is characterized by obtaining for it at least its image taken from plural sides thereof and a customer interface is provided that allows a customer to view and obtain various parameter data relating to each physically unique food item, to enable individual selection of fresh fruit items such as apples, pears and the like.

Embodiments implement a minispace concept to dynamically manage layout of a robotics warehouse system. The warehouse space is divided into a plurality of equally sized minispaces, each corresponding to a standard rack footprint. Each minispace is identified by tagging with a unit location ID and attribute(s) such as coordinates. Minispaces may be referenced in a task planning process flow that initially comprises determining stock and rack, followed by determining a relevant workstation. The task is then assigned to an appropriate robot, and a travel route is planned (e.g., shortest path in minispace layout). Robot actions within the route are then planned and executed by the warehouse management system according to the minispace layout. Minispaces allow a robot to identify each minispace by the tagging, and to plan the next movement accordingly. The use of minispaces may facilitate collision avoidance by grouping actions together and allowing performance of minispace locking/checking procedures.