Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided herein useful to enable delivery of commercial products to customers. In some embodiments, the system comprises an autonomous ground vehicle on a delivery route to deliver commercial products to a person of interest. The AGV comprises control circuits communicatively coupled to sensors. The control circuits, using sensor data, determines whether a person positioned within a threshold distance relative to the AGV is the PoI; allow the PoI to designate an intention of a second person positioned within the threshold distance as being friendly or adverse relative to the PoI; determine the intention of the second person; receive a command from the PoI overriding the determination that the second person's intention is adverse to the PoI; and allow the PoI to take possession of the commercial products when the designated intention is friendly relative to the PoI and the command is received.

Abstract: Some embodiments include systems, methods, and apparatuses capable of determining a leader of a group of autonomous vehicles. In some embodiments, a system of autonomous vehicles comprises two or more autonomous vehicles each having a communication device and in communication with one another, each of the two or more autonomous vehicles configured to travel as a group, receive and transport goods, communicate with others of the two or more autonomous vehicles in the group, and conduct a negotiation to establish at least one leader, wherein any one of the two or more autonomous vehicles can become the at least one leader.

Abstract: Provided is a courier management system. The system includes a customer computing device for accessing and receiving data produced by the system and a server located at a service provider, the server coupled to the customer computing device. The server may be programmed to store customer preferences, generate and transmit a scalable shopping preference interface to allow a customer to select a level of courier involvement, automatically generate order instructions in response to accessing and processing the customer preferences and the level of courier involvement after receiving a shopping list. Automatically generating order instructions may include selecting a substitute or alternative product to complete the shopping list in response to automatically determining a requested product is out of stock.

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided that limit the change in temperature and/or control a temperature of a product during delivery. Some embodiments provide systems comprising an unmanned delivery vehicle (UDV) comprising: a body comprising a nanotechnology insulation material, wherein the nanotechnology insulation material comprises material having been manipulated at a molecular level during the macroscale fabrication of the nanotechnology insulation material to enhance insulation effectiveness; at least one propulsion system; a control circuit coupled with the at least one propulsion system to control the operation of the at least one propulsion system and control a direction of travel of the UDV, wherein the body physically supports the propulsion system and the control circuit; and a product cavity defined within the body and configured to receive at least one product while the at least one product is transported by the UDV to a delivery location.

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided to support the delivery of products. Some embodiments provide a retail delivery locker system comprising: multiple delivery lockers comprising: a housing enclosing an interior product cavity; a door enabling access to the product cavity; first and second docking couplers each configured to securely dock with a docking station and a docking coupler of another locker; and a communication link between the first and second docking couplers; and multiple docking stations each comprising: a locker coupler configured to secure a locker with the docking station; a station control circuit that obtains a first locker identifier from a first locker, confirms the first locker is scheduled to dock with a docking station, and authorize the locking of the docking station with the first docking coupler; and a transceiver enabling the station control circuit to communicate with a remote central control system.

Abstract: Partiality vectors for a particular customer and vectorized characterizations of a plurality of products are employed by a control circuit to select a particular one of the plurality of products to ship to a particular customer. By one approach this selected product is shipped without the particular customer having ordered this product. By one approach the aforementioned selection is based upon a prediction that the particular customer will keep the selected product upon receipt thereof based upon those partiality vectors and vectorized characterizations notwithstanding that it may not be known whether the particular customer has ever previously made a purchasing decision regarding this particular product. By one approach a customer can return a delivered product without being required to leave their delivery address, (re)seal the product/package, and/or attach a return label thereto.

Abstract: In some embodiments, unmanned aerial task systems are provided that comprise: multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) each comprising: a UAV control circuit; a motor; and a propulsion system; and wherein data acquired through a first set of at least one of the multiple UAVs while performing a first set of at least one task is caused to be distributed to a second set of at least two of the multiple UAVs, and cause cooperative computational processing of the data through the UAV control circuits of the second set of UAVs and cooperatively identify based on the cooperative computational processing a second set of at least one task to be performed, and identify a set of at least two tool systems to be utilized by a third set of at least two of the multiple UAVs in cooperatively performing the second set of at least one task.

Abstract: In some embodiments, unmanned aerial task systems are provided that include a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising: a UAV control circuit; a motor; and a propulsion system coupled with the motor and configured to enable the first UAV to move itself; and wherein the UAV control circuit when implementing code stored in memory is configured to identify, based at least in part on a first task performed using a first tool system temporarily coupled with the first UAV, a second task to be performed by the first UAV and to identify a different second tool system to be used to perform the second task.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide an aerial monitoring system to monitor a geographic area, comprising: a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising: a plurality of lift motors to drive a propeller; a substructural support supporting the lift motors and propellers; a UAV control circuit configured to control the operation of the lift motors; a rechargeable electrical power source that supplies electrical power to the UAV control circuit and the plurality of lift motors; a recharge control circuit; and a modifiable support system cooperated with the substructural support and supporting a set of photovoltaic cells electrically coupled with the rechargeable power source and configured to supply electrical power to the rechargeable power source, wherein the recharge control circuit is configured to control a modification of the modifiable support system to cause a physical modification of at least an orientation of the modifiable support system relative to the substructural support.

Abstract: In some embodiments, unmanned aerial task systems are provided that comprise multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) each comprising: a UAV control circuit; a motor; and a propulsion system coupled with the motor and configured to enable the respective UAVs to move themselves; and wherein a first UAV control circuit of a first UAV of the multiple UAVs is configured to access power level data corresponding to each of the multiple UAVs, and select a second UAV of the multiple UAVs based at least in part on a power level of the second UAV relative to a threshold power level corresponding to a first task to be performed and a predicted power usage by the second UAV while utilizing a first tool system temporarily cooperated with the second UAV in performing the first task.

Abstract: In some embodiments, unmanned aerial task systems are provided that comprise multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) each comprising: a UAV control circuit; a motor; and a propulsion system coupled with the motor and configured to enable the respective UAVs to move themselves; and wherein a first UAV control circuit of a first UAV of the multiple UAVs is configured to identify a second UAV carrying a first tool system configured to perform a first function, cause a notification to be communicated to the second UAV directing the second UAV to transfer the first tool system to the first UAV, and direct a first propulsion system of the first UAV to couple with the first tool system being transferred from the second UAV.

Abstract: In some embodiments, unmanned aerial task systems are provided that include a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) each comprising: a UAV control circuit; a motor; propulsion system; and a universal coupler configured to interchangeably couple with and decouple from one of multiple different tool systems each having different functions to be put into use while carried by a UAV, wherein a coupling system of the universal coupler is configured to secure a tool system with the UAV and enable a communication connection between a communication bus and the tool system, and wherein the multiple different tool systems comprise at least a package securing tool system configured to retain and enable transport of a package while being delivered, and a sensor tool system configured to sense a condition and communicate sensor data of the sensed condition to the UAV control circuit over the communication bus.

Abstract: In some embodiments, unmanned aerial task systems are provided that comprise: multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) each comprising: a UAV control circuit; a motor; and a propulsion system coupled with the motor and configured to enable UAV to move itself; and wherein a first UAV control circuit of a first UAV of the multiple UAVs, when implementing code stored in memory, is configured to identify, based at least in part on a first task performed using a first tool system temporarily coupled with the first UAV, a set of at least one task to be cooperatively performed by the first UAV and at least a second UAV of the multiple UAVs.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of dispensing an insecticide to defend a crop-containing area against crop-damaging pests include an unmanned vehicle having a sensor that detects a crop-damaging pest in the crop-containing area and captures pest detection data, and an insecticide output device including at least one insecticide directed at the pest. The unmanned vehicle transmits the captured pest detection data via the network to the computing device and, in response to receipt of the captured pest detection data via the network from the unmanned vehicle, the computing device accesses an electronic database to determine an identity of the at least one pest. Based on the determined identity of the crop-damaging pest, the computing device transmits a control signal to the unmanned vehicle to cause the insecticide output device of the unmanned vehicle to dispense one or more insecticides specific to the identified crop-damaging pest.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of identifying at least one pest based on crop damage detection in a crop-containing area include an unmanned vehicle including at least one sensor configured to detect at least one type of pest damage on at least one crop in the crop-containing area and to capture pest damage data. An electronic database includes pest damage identity data associated with one or more crop-damaging pests, and a computing device communicates with the unmanned vehicle and the electronic database via a network. The unmanned vehicle transmits the captured pest damage data via the network to the computing device and, in response to receipt of the captured pest damage data from the unmanned vehicle, the computing device accesses the pest damage identity data on the electronic database to determine an identity of one or more pests responsible for the detected type of pest crop damage.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of pollinating crops include one or more unmanned vehicles including a pollen applicator configured to collect pollen from a flower of a first crop and to apply the pollen collected from the flower of the first crop onto a flower of a second crop and a sensor configured to detect presence of the pollen applied to the flower of the second crop by the pollen applicator to verify that the pollen collected from the flower of the first crop by the pollen applicator was successfully applied by the pollen applicator onto the flower of the second crop.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of identifying at least one pest in a crop-containing area include an unmanned vehicle including a visible light video camera configured to detect a pest in the crop-containing area and to capture first pest detection data and an infrared video camera configured to detect a pest in the crop-containing area and to capture second pest detection data.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of pollinating crops in a crop-containing area include at least one unmanned vehicle having a receptacle including pollen, a pollen dispenser configured to dispense the pollen from the receptacle onto the crops, and a sensor configured to detect presence of the pollen dispensed from the at least one pollen dispenser on the crops and interpret the presence of the pollen dispensed from the at least one pollen dispenser on the crops as a verification that the pollen dispensed from the at least one pollen dispenser was successfully applied to the crops.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of defending a crop-containing area against crop-damaging pests include an unmanned aerial vehicle including a sensor that detects one or more pests in the crop-containing area and an output device configured to eliminate the pest from the crop-containing area. One or more docking stations configured to accommodate the UAV are provided. A computing device configured to communicate with the UAV and the docking station over a network is provided. The UAV is configured to send pest detection data captured by a sensor of the UAV while patrolling the crop-containing area. In return, the computing device is configured to send a signal to the UAV to indicate instructions to the UAV as to how to move or activate the output device in order to eliminate the detected pest from the crop-containing area.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for mobile vending. A system for mobile vending comprises a mobile vending machine comprising: an item dispenser configured to display a plurality of items for purchase, a set of motorized wheels, a navigation sensor device, a communication device, and, a control circuit configured to navigate the mobile vending machine based on navigation instructions; and a central computer system configured to communicate with the mobile vending machine via the communication device, the central computer system being configured to: determine a destination for the mobile vending machine, provide the navigation instructions to the mobile vending machine to cause the mobile vending machine to travel to the destination using the set of motorized wheels and the navigation sensor device.