Patent Publication Number: US-2023144297-A1

Title: Transporting parcels on transportation lines

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/000,863, filed on Mar. 27, 2020. The disclosure of the above-referenced application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a transportation system, and more particularly, to transporting parcels on transportation lines. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Transportation systems may include multiple transportation lines and multiple transportation pods that travel along the various transportation lines. The transportation lines may be directed or directional routes that allow transportation pods (e.g., vehicles) to travel between different locations in the transportation system. For example, a transportation line may be similar to links, tracks, or rails that allow transportation pods to travel to different locations (e.g., stops, stations, etc.) within the transportation system. The transportation pods may be capsules, vehicles, cars, or some other type of device that may move from one location to another. For example, the transportation pods may be similar to trains, although the transportation pods may not travel on tracks. The transportation pods may transport various things between the stops in the transportation system. For example, the transportation pods may transport (e.g., move, convey, etc.) passengers or items, such as parcels, packets, objects, products, goods, freight, merchandise, payloads, shipments, packets, etc., between different stops in the transportation system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The described embodiments and the advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These drawings in no way limit any changes in form and detail that may be made to the described embodiments by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments. 
         FIG.  1    is a block diagram that illustrates an example transportation system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram that illustrates an example transportation system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a block diagram that illustrates an example destination, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a block diagram that illustrates an example payload system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a flow diagram of a process of transporting parcels in a transportation system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a block diagram of an example computing device that may perform one or more of the operations described herein, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, transportation systems may include multiple transportation lines and multiple transportation pods that travel along the various transportation lines. The transportation pods may be capsules, vehicles, cars, or some other type of device that may move from one location to another. The transportation pods may transport various things between the stops in the transportation system. For example, the transportation pods may transport (e.g., move, convey, etc.) passengers or items, such as products, goods, freight, merchandise, payloads, shipments, packets, etc., between different stops in the transportation system. The transportation lines may be connected via junctions that allow transportation pods to merge from one transportation line to another. 
     Delivering parcels (e.g., packages, boxes, bags, containers, etc.) in an urban area poses various issues such as long and unreliable delivery time, lack of delivery personnel, and high cost for transporting and handling the parcels. Many of these issues are associated with or caused by traffic problems such as road congestion, emission of pollutants (e.g., carbon dioxide), and excess use of parking spaces. As e-commerce continues to grow and develop, these issues will worsen and become more challenging. 
     Traditional track or rail based transportation systems (e.g., rail roads, trains, etc.) are generally not suitable for delivering parcels in an urban area or environment. One challenge for urban rail delivery (e.g., for delivering parcels in an urban environment) is that these deliveries generally require smaller train sizes, operating at higher speeds, and operating at higher frequencies in terms of the number of departures. Traditional rail technology (e.g., traditional track or rail based transportation systems) are unable to address these challenges. 
     In one embodiment, a magnetic levitation (maglev) transportation system (e.g., a hyperloop) may be used to transport parcels in an urban environment or area. The magnetic levitation transportation system may use one or more magnetic levitation (maglev) pods or capsules that travel along magnetic tracks located within a tube (e.g., a vacuum sealed or low air pressure tube). The magnetic levitation transportation system may allow smaller vehicles (e.g., pads or capsules) to operate a higher speeds and a higher frequency. Thus, the magnetic levitation transportation system may be well suited for the delivery of parcels in an urban environment. The use of a magnetic levitation transportation system may also reduce traffic in the dense urban area or environments (e.g., may reduce the number of delivery trucks or vehicles travelling along roads). 
     In one embodiment, the magnetic levitation transportation system may include a fully autonomous payload system. The payload system would allow parcels to be delivered to between different stations or stops without manual handling of the parcel by personnel (e.g., mailmen, delivery men, etc.). A parcel may be automatically loaded onto a pod or capsule by a first payload system at a warehouse or other storage facility. The pod or capsule may deliver the parcel to receivers at stations or stops without human intervention. A second payload system at a receiving stop or station may unload, remove, etc., the parcels from the pod or capsule. The payload system includes a conveyor mechanism (e.g., a conveyor belt), a pallet for stacking or arranging parcels, a lift mechanism, a mechanical arm (e.g., a robotic arm), and a storage system to store parcels at stations/stops. 
       FIG.  1    is a block diagram that illustrates an example transportation system  100 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The transportation system  100  includes transportation pods  110 , transportation lines  115 , and destinations  120 . As discussed above, the transportation lines  115  may be directed or directional paths that allow transportation pods  110  (e.g., vehicles) to travel between the different destinations  120 . For example, the transportation lines  115  may be similar to links, tracks, or rails that allow transportation pods  110  to travel to different locations (e.g., destinations  120 ) within the transportation system  110 . In one embodiment, the transportation lines  115  may be tubes within which the transportation pods  110  may travel. For example, the transportation lines  115  may be vacuum sealed (or near vacuum sealed) tubes that include magnetic (e.g., electromagnetic) tracks. Different transportation lines  115  may be connected to each other via junctions between the transportation lines. A junction may be a location where two transportation lines converge or diverge. For example, a junction may allow a transportation pod  110  on a first transportation line to merge onto a second transportation line. 
     The transportation pods  110  may each be capsules, vehicles, cars, or some other type of device that may move from one location to another. For example, the transportation pods  110  may be similar to trains, although the transportation pods  110  may not travel on tracks. In one embodiment, transportation pods  110  may be a magnetic levitation (maglev) pod or capsule that travels along magnetic tracks located within a tube (e.g., a vacuum sealed or low air pressure tube). The transportation pods  110  may transport various things between the stops in the transportation system  100 . For example, the transportation pods  110  may transport (e.g., move, convey, etc.) passengers between different stops in the transportation system  100 . In another example, the transportation pods  110  may transport items, such as products, goods, freight, merchandise, payloads, shipments, packets, etc., between different stops in the transportation system. The transportation pods  110  may include multiple portions (e.g., multiple pods that are logically grouped or physically coupled together). The length of each of the transportation pods  110  may vary based on the needs or requirements of the transportation system  100  (e.g., may vary from less than ten meters to hundreds of meters). Transportation pods  110  may each include one or more of a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device, a laser range finder, a camera (e.g., a video camera), a radio frequency device (e.g., a radar device), an ultrasonic sensor, etc, and/or other device that may be used for autonomous navigation and/or operation of the transportation pods  110 . 
     The destinations  120  may be stops, stations, waypoints, etc., where passengers and/or cargo may be loaded onto the transportation pods  110 . For example, the destinations  120  may be different cities, towns, metropolitan areas, etc., that are interconnected by the transportation lines  115 . Although the present disclosure may refer to cities, towns, and/or metropolitan areas, the destinations  120  may be any location where a transportation  110  may stop (e.g., temporarily stop to load/unload passengers and/or cargo). For example, the destinations  120  may be stops (e.g., stations) within one city (e.g., one stop every few city blocks). 
     The infrastructure nodes  150  may be devices, systems, mechanisms, etc., that allow the transportation system  100  to detect, communicate with, and manage the transportation pods  110 . The infrastructure nodes  150  may be positioned at various locations along the transportation lines  115 . For example, there may be an infrastructure node  150  located every 10 meters, 50 meters, 100 meters, or some other appropriate distance along each of the transportation lines  115 . The infrastructure nodes  150  may be placed at known or predetermined locations along the transportation lines  115  (e.g., the geographical locations of the infrastructure nodes  150  are known). 
     An infrastructure node  150  includes a sensor node  151 . The sensor node  151  may include various devices, systems, mechanisms, etc., that allow the infrastructure node  150  to detect the location and/or speed of the transportation pods  110  as they travel through the transportation lines  115 . For example, the sensor node  151  may include one or more of a radio frequency device (e.g., a radar system), a laser range finder, a camera (e.g., a video camera), an ultrasonic sensor, a Hall effect sensor, a presence sensor/detector (e.g., a device to detect the presence of a transportation pod  110 ), etc., that may be used to detect the speed of the transportation pods  110 . Because the location of an infrastructure node  150  is known, the sensor node  151  allows an infrastructure node  150  to determine one or more of the speed and acceleration of a transportation pod at a certain point or location along a transportation line. The sensor node  151  may also be able to identify a transportation pod. For example, the sensor node  151  may include a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader which may read an RFID tag located on a transportation pod. In another example, the sensor node  151  may determine an identifier for a transportation pod based on communications (e.g., messages) exchanged with the transportation pod via communication node  152 . 
     An infrastructure node  150  also includes a communication node  152 . The communication node  152  may allow the infrastructure node to communicate with one or more of a control system (e.g., a main control system, a command and control center, etc.), transportation pods  110 , and other infrastructure nodes  150 . For example, the communication node  152  may include a network interface (e.g., a wired network interface, a wireless network interface, etc.) that allows the infrastructure node  150  to communicate data (e.g., transmit and receive messages, packets, frames, etc.). Various communication protocols and technologies (e.g., cellular communications systems, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) may be used by the communication node  152  to communicate data. The communication node  152  may communicate data about a transportation pod detected by a sensor node  151 . For example, the transportation pod  110  passes an infrastructure node  150 , the sensor node  151  may determine an identifier for the transportation pod  110  (e.g., a name, a serial number, a car number, etc.) and may determine the speed or acceleration of the transportation pod  110 . The speed or acceleration of the transportation pod  110  may be referred to as movement information. The communication node  152  may transmit the movement information to other infrastructure nodes  150  or a control system, as discussed in more detail below. 
     The transportation system  100  also includes a control system  180 . The control system  180  may control, manage, and monitor the operation of the transportation pod  110 , as discussed in more detail below. The transportation system  100  may further include infrastructure nodes  150 , as discussed in more detail below. Each infrastructure node  150  may include a sensor node  151  and a communication node  152 . In one embodiment, the transportation system  100  may be a closed transportation system where the addition and removal of transportation pods within the transportation system  100  is controlled (e.g., controlled or managed by the control system  180 ). 
     The control system  180  and the infrastructure nodes  150  may be interconnected or coupled to each other (e.g., communicatively coupled) via a network  105 . The network  105  may carry communications (e.g., data, message, packets, frames, other appropriate types or formats of data, etc.) between the infrastructure nodes and the control system  180 . The network  105  may be a public network (e.g., the Internet), a private network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN)), or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the network  105  may include a wired or a wireless infrastructure, which may be provided by one or more wireless communications systems, such as a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) hotspot connected with the network and/or a wireless carrier system that can be implemented using various data processing equipment, communication towers (e.g. cell towers), etc. The transportation pods  110  may also be connected to each other, the infrastructure nodes  150 , and the control system  180  via the network  105 . 
     Each transportation pod  110  may include a pod control module (not illustrated in  FIG.  1   ). In one embodiment, the pod control module may control the operation of a transportation pod  110 . For example, the pod control module may increase or decrease the speed of the transportation pod  110 , may cause a transportation pod  110  to stop at a station (e.g., a destination  120 ), etc. In another example, the pod control module may cause a transportation pod  110  to merge from one transportation line  115  to another transportation line  115  at a junction between the two transportation lines  115 . 
     The pod control module of a transportation pod  110  may communicate with other transportation pods  110  (e.g., other pod control modules). For example, the pod control module may transmit the current speed and location of a transportation pod  110  to another transportation pod  110 . This may be referred to as vehicle-vehicle (V-V) communications. The pod control module may also communicate with the infrastructure nodes  150 . For example, the pod control module may transmit the current speed and location of the transportation pod  110  to the in structure nodes  150 . This may be referred to as vehicle-infrastructure (V-I) communications. The pod control module may also transmit and/or receive messages or other data with other transportation pods  110  via the infrastructure nodes  150  (e.g., the messages/data may be forwarded by the infrastructure nodes  150 ). This may be referred to as vehicle-infrastructure-vehicle (V-I-V) communications. 
     In some embodiments, the pod control module of a transportation pod  110  may operate in conjunction and/or coordination with the control system  180  to control the operation of the transportation pod  110 . For example, the control system  180  may communicate with the pod control module of a transportation pod  110  and inform the pod control module of other transportation pods  110  in the vicinity of a junction. The pod control module may increase/decrease the speed of the transportation pod to allow the transportation pod to merge safely via the junction. 
     In other embodiments, the control system  180  may control the operation of the transportation pods  110 . For example, the control system  180  may determine when a transportation pod  110  should increase/decrease speed, should merge from one transportation line  115  to another transportation line  115 , etc. The control system  180  may transmit messages or instructions to the control modules of the transportation pods  110  to cause the transportation pods to increase speed, decrease speed, merge, etc. 
     Each of the pod control modules and the control system  180  may include one or more computing devices. A computing device may include hardware such as processing devices (e.g., processors, central processing units (CPUs), memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), storage devices (e.g., hard-disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), etc.), and other hardware devices (e.g., sound card, video card, etc.). A computing device may include any suitable type of device or machine that has a programmable processor including, for example, server computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, etc. In some examples, a computing device may include a single machine or may include multiple interconnected machines (e.g., multiple servers configured in a cluster). 
     In one embodiment, the pod control modules and the control system  180  may also include one or more virtual machines (VMs). A VM may be a software implementation of a machine (e.g., a software implementation of a computing device) that includes its own operating system (referred to as a guest OS) and executes application programs, applications, software. A VM may execute on a hypervisor which executes on top of the OS for a computing device (referred to as a host OS). The hypervisor may also be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). The hypervisor may manage system resources, including access to hardware devices such as physical processing devices (e.g., processors, CPUs, etc.), physical memory (e.g., RAM), storage device (e.g., HDDs, SSDs), and/or other devices (e.g., sound cards, video cards, etc.). The hypervisor may also emulate the hardware (or other physical resources) which may be used by the VMs to execute software/applications. 
     In one embodiment, the pod control modules and the control system  180  may also include one or more containers. A container may be an isolated set of resources allocated to executing an application, software, and/or process independent from other applications, software, and/or processes. A container may execute on a container engine which executes on top of the OS for a computing device. The host OS (e.g., an OS of the computing device) may use namespaces to isolate the resources of the containers from each other. The container may share the kernel, libraries, and binaries of the host OS with other containers that are executing on the computing device. The container engine may allow different containers to share the host OS (e.g., the OS kernel, binaries, libraries, etc.) of a computing device. The container engine may also facilitate interactions between the container and the resources of the computing device. 
     As discussed above, track or rail based transportation systems are generally not suitable for delivering or transporting parcels in an urban area or environment. For example, a track or rail based transportation system may be less suitable for local or shorter distance delivers (e.g., deliveries within a city). Lack of automation when loading or unloading parcels may also be problematic when delivering and/or transporting parcels. 
       FIG.  2    is a block diagram that illustrates an example transportation system  200 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The transportation system  200  includes a transportation line  161  and a transportation line  162 . The transportation system  200  also includes infrastructure nodes  150 . Each infrastructure node  150  may include a sensor node  151  and a communication node  152 . The transportation system  200  further includes transportation pod  110 A, transportation pod  110 B, and transportation pod  110 C. In one embodiment, the transportation system  200  may be a closed transportation system where the addition and removal of transportation pods within the transportation system  200  is controlled. For example, a control system (not illustrated in  FIG.  1   ) may control the addition and removal of transportation pods within the transportation system  200 . 
     The transportation line  161  and the transportation line  162  may each be directed or directional routes that allow transportation pods  110 A,  110 B, and  110 C to travel between different locations in the transportation system. For example, the transportation line  161  and the transportation line  162  may be similar to links, tracks, or rails that allow transportation pods  110 A,  110 B, and  110 C to travel to different locations (e.g., stops, stations, etc.) within the transportation system. The transportations lines  161  and  162  may be a subset of the transportation lines within the transportation system  200 . For example, the transportation system  200  may include tens, hundreds, thousands, or some other appropriate number of transportation lines in other embodiments. In one embodiment, the transportation lines  161  and  162  may be tubes within which the transportation pods  110 A,  110 B, and  110 C may travel. For example, the transportation lines  161  and  162  may be vacuum sealed (or near vacuum sealed) tubes that include magnetic (e.g., electromagnetic) tracks. 
     As discussed above, the transportation pods  110 A,  110 B and  110 C may each be capsules, vehicles, cars, or some other type of device that may move from one location to another. In one embodiment, transportation pods  110 A,  110 B, and  110 C may be a magnetic levitation (maglev) pod or capsule that travels along magnetic tracks located within a tube (e.g., a vacuum sealed or low air pressure tube). The transportation pods  110 A,  110 B, and  110 C may transport various things between the stops in the transportation system  200 . The transportation pods  110 A,  110 B, and  110 C may include multiple portions (e.g., multiple pods that are logically grouped or physically coupled together). The length of each of the transportation pods  110 A,  110 B, and  110 C vary in different embodiments. Also as discussed above, the infrastructure nodes  150  may be devices, systems, mechanisms, etc., that allow the transportation system  200  to detect, communicate with, and manage the transportation pods  110 A,  110 B, and  110 C. The infrastructure nodes  150  may be positioned at various locations along the transportation lines  161  and  162 . 
     The transportation system  200  also includes a junction  270 . A junction may be a location where two transportation lines converge or diverge. For example, junction  270  may be a location where the transportation line  162  converges or merges with transportation line  161 . As illustrated in  FIG.  1   , transportation pod  110 C may be merging onto transportation line  161  from transportation line  162  via the junction  270 . The junction  270  (and other junctions in the transportation system  200 ) may allow for cross-line operation in the transportation system  200 . 
     Cross-line operation allows a transportation pod move across or use multiple transportation lines. Cross-line operation may provide various benefits to the transportation system  200 . For example, it may reduce the number of transfers that a passenger or cargo makes when traveling to a destination. Rather than stopping at a station or stop on a first transportation line and moving to a different transportation pod on another transportation line, it would be quicker and more efficient to allow the same transportation pod to merge from the first transportation line to the second transportation line (e.g., to cross transportation lines). Cross-line operation may also allow line based (e.g., track or tubed based) transportation systems to become a more preferred mode of transportation or deliver of parcels (e.g., cargo, packages, bags, containers, etc.). This may divert passengers and cargo from congested roads to public transportation. 
       FIG.  3    is a block diagram that illustrates an example destination  120 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the destination  120  may a destination (e.g., a station, a stop, etc.) in a closed transportation system where the addition and removal of transportation pods within the transportation system is controlled. For example, a control system (not illustrated in  FIG.  3   ) may control the addition and removal of transportation pods within the transportation system. The destination  120  includes a transportation line  161  (e.g., a tube). For example, at least a portion of the transportation line  161  may run or go through the destination  120 . A transportation pod  110  may stop at the destination  120 . For example, the transportation pod  110  may temporarily stop or pause at the destination  120  to allow for loading and/or unlading of parcels, as discussed in more detail below. The destination  120  further includes a payload system  350 . The payload system  350  may allow parcels (e.g., packages, bags, boxes, containers, etc.) to be loaded or unloaded (e.g., automatically loaded/unloaded) from the transportation pod  110 . The payload system  350  includes pallets  360 A and  360 B, a conveyor system  370 , a lift system  375 , a mechanical arm  380 , a storage system  390 , and a payload control system  355 . 
     As discussed above, track or rail based transportation systems are generally not suitable for delivering or transporting parcels in an urban area or environment. For example, a long train size, lower speed, and lower frequency (e.g., fewer numbers of trains passing through a station or top) are generally not suitable for delivering or transporting parcels in an urban area or environment. In addition, track or rail based systems may have fewer destinations within an area. For example, a track or rail based system may not have multiple stops within a few city blocks. Furthermore, the lack of automation when loading or unloading parcels at stations may also result in a more time consuming, more labor intensive, or more inefficient process for delivering parcels. 
     The embodiments, examples, implementations, etc., disclosed herein may address the above-noted and other deficiencies by using a magnetic levitation transportation system (e.g., a maglev system, a hyperloop) and an automated payload system (e.g., payload system  350 ). The automated payload system allows parcel delivery to be integrated into the destination  120  which may also be used for transporting passengers. Although the present disclosure may refer to a magnetic levitation transportation system, the embodiments, examples, and/or implementations described herein may be used with other types of transportation systems. For example, the may be applied to a rail based transportation system such as trollies, light rail, a metropolitan subway system, etc. 
     In one embodiment, the payload control system  355  may determine and/or detect that transportation pod  110  has arrived at the destination  120 . For example, the payload control system  355  may be coupled to sensors (e.g., laser sensors, motion sensors, radar, etc.) that may detect the transportation pod  110 . In another example, the payload control system  355  may be coupled to a control system for a transportation system (e.g., control system  180 ) and the control system for the transportation system may communicate with the payload control system  355  to indicate that the transportation pod  110  has arrived at the destination  120 . 
     In one embodiment, the payload control system  355  may determine whether the transportation pod  110  includes one or more parcels that are to be delivered at the destination  120 . For example, the payload control system  355  may access a database, an inventory system, etc., that may indicate that the transportation pod  110  includes one or more parcels that are to be delivered at the destination  120 . In another example, the control system for the transportation system may communicate with the payload control system  355  to indicate that the transportation pod  110  includes one or more parcels that are to be delivered at the destination  120 . The one or more parcels may be located on pallet  360 B. 
     In one embodiment, each of the pallets  360 A and  360 B may be a platform, surface, a tray, etc., that is sized to fit within the transportation pod  110 . For example, the length and width of each of the pallets  360 A and  360 B may allow the pallets  360 A and  360 B to be inserted into the transportation pod  110  (e.g., to fit through a door or opening of the transportation pod  110 , to fit within an internal space or compartment of the transportation pod  110 , etc.). A transportation pod  110  may be able to store multiple pallets at different heights within the transportation pod  110 . For example, the pallets  360 A and  360 B (and other pallets) may be arranged within the transportation pod  110  similar to shelves on a stand. Each of the pallets  360 A and  360 B may include dividers, that allow the pallets  360 A and  360 B to be divided into different size or shape compartments. The payload system  350  may include various numbers of pallets in different embodiments. 
     In one embodiment, conveyor system  370  (illustrated by the dotted and dashed lines) may move the pallets  360 A and  360 B to different locations within the payload system  350 . For example, the conveyor system  370  may include one or more conveyor belts (which may be interconnected) that move the pallets  360 A and  360 B closer between the transportation pod  110 , and the mechanical arm  380 . The conveyor system  370  may be located proximate to the lift system  375  and/or the mechanical arm  380 . This allows the conveyor system  370  to move pallets to the lift system  375  so that the pallets can be loaded into or unloaded from the transportation pod  110 . This also allows a pallet to be moved closer to the mechanical arm  380  so that the mechanical arm can load parcels onto a pallet. 
     In one embodiment, the lift system  375  may lift, elevate, move, etc. the pallets  360 A and  360 B to different heights. For example, the lift system  375  may include an elevator. This may allow the pallets  360 A and  360 B (and other pallets) to be loaded or inserted into the transportation pod  110  at different heights. For example, the conveyor system  370  may be at a first height. The lift system  375  may lift a pallet to a height that is higher or lower than the first height. The lift system  375  and/or portions of the lift system  375  may be located in transportation pod  110  in some embodiments. The pallets in the transportation pod  110  may be positioned above each other to allow more pallets to be loaded into the transportation pod  110 . The payload control system  355  may indicate to the lift system  370  the height or level at which a pallet should be loaded into the transportation pod  110 . For example, the payload control system  355  may indicate to the lift system  370  that a particular level or height within the transportation pod is empty and that the lift system  370  should lift the pallet  360 B to that height and insert or load the pallet  360  into the transportation pod  110  (as illustrated by the arrow in  FIG.  3   ). The payload control system  355  may also indicate to the lift system  370  the height or level from which a pallet should be removed or unloaded from the transportation pod  110 . The transportation pod  110  may include rollers, rails, slots, locking mechanisms, etc., to secure the pallets  360 A and  360 B within the transportation pod  110 . 
     In one embodiment, the mechanical arm  380  may load parcels onto the pallets  360 A and  360 B, and may unload parcels from the pallets  360 A and  360 B. For example, the lift system  375  and the conveyor system  370  may move the pallet  360 A from the transportation pod towards the mechanical arm (e.g., in a counter-clockwise direction on the conveyor system  370 ). The mechanical arm  380  may obtain (e.g., pick up, grab, etc.) parcels from the storage system  390  and place them on the pallet  360 B. After the pallet  360 B is loaded (with parcels), the conveyor system  370  may move the pallet onto the lift system  375  (as illustrated by the arrow). The lift system may load the pallet  360 B into the transportation pod  110 , as discussed above. The conveyor system  370  may also move the pallet  360 A closer to the mechanical arm  380 . The mechanical arm  380  may remove the parcels from the pallet  360  and place them in the storage system  390 . 
     In one embodiment, the mechanical arm  380  may include various sensors, camera, scanners, etc. For example, ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, LIDAR sensors, cameras, etc., may be used to detect the locations, positions, orientations, etc., of parcels on the pallets  360 A and  360 B. The mechanical arm  380  may also include a scanner (e.g., a reader, a barcode scanner, a camera, etc.). The scanner may read or scan identifiers, such as barcodes, on the parcels, the pallets  360 A and  360 B, and the storage system  390 . The scanner may also read other identifiers (e.g., text, a tracking number, a recipient&#39;s name, an address, etc.). This may allow the mechanical arm  380  to identify which parcels should be moved between the storage system  390  and the pallets  360 A and  360 B. The identifier that is detected, determined, obtained, etc., by the mechanical arm  380  may be used to determine a compartment within the storage system  390 . For example, different parcels may be placed into different compartments based on various factors such as the number of available compartments (e.g., empty compartments), the dimensions of the parcel, the dimensions of the compartment, etc. 
     The mechanical arm  380  also includes a gripping component (e.g., a gripper, a grabber, a hand, a claw, etc.) that may be used to grab, hold, etc., a parcel. The gripping component may be adjustable to hold or grab parcels of various sizes. The head of the mechanical arm  380  (e.g., the gripping component) may have a wide range of motion. For example, the arm and head of the mechanical arm may each have a 360 degree of rotation about various axes. In addition, the arm and head of the mechanical arm  380  may be able to move along various axes. For example, the arm and/or head of the mechanical arm may be able to move from left to right, up and down, etc. The mechanical arm  380  may move (e.g., may grab) parcels from the pallet  360 B and may place the parcels into different compartments in the storage system  390 . 
     In one embodiment, the payload control system  355  may be one or more computing devices (e.g., a server computer, a laptop computer, etc.) that may manage, track, etc., the parcels that are loaded or unloaded by the payload system  350 . For example, the payload control system  355  may track the barcodes or identifiers of parcels that are stored in the storage system  390 . The payload control system  355  may also track the barcodes or identifiers of the parcels that are removed from the transportation pod  110 . The payload control system  355  may be coupled to a network (e.g., a wireless network, a cellular network, the Internet, etc.) to allow the payload control system  355  to communicate with other services and computing devices (e.g., to communicate with a database of a deliver service). 
     In one embodiment, the storage system  390  may be a container, locker, etc., that is used to store parcels that are to be loaded onto the transportation pod  110  and have been unloaded from the transportation pod  110 . The storage system  390  may include multiple doors or openings to allow parcels to be placed inside the storage system  390  by the mechanical arm  380  or users (e.g., people who pick up or drop off parcels at the storage system  390 ). The multiple doors or openings may provide access to compartments within the storage system  390  where parcels may be stored. The storage system  390  may include an interface (e.g., a panel, a keypad, a touch screen, etc.) that allows users to deposit and retrieve parcels from the storage system  390 . For example, a user may have a code that may open a particular door to allow a user to place a parcel in a compartment or remove the parcel from a compartment. 
     A first side (e.g., a back side) of the storage system  390  may be accessible to the mechanical arm  380  to allow the mechanical arm  380  to place parcels in a compartment or remove parcels from the compartment. The first side may not have doors to allow the mechanical arm  380  to place parcels within the compartments. A second side (e.g., a front side) of the storage system  390  may include doors or openings that allow the users to access a compartment in the storage system  390 . The payload control system  355  may generate and transmit messages to the users (e.g., to a computing device of the user, to a tablet, to a smartphone, etc.) when different parcels are loaded into the compartments. This may notify a user that a parcel is ready for pick up at the storage system  390 . The message may include a code, authentication credentials, etc., that the user may use to access the compartment in the storage system  390 . The message may also include an identifier for the compartment where the parcel is located, a location of the storage system (e.g., a street address, GPS coordinates, a name of the station, etc.), and a time when the parcel was placed in the compartment. 
     In one embodiment, the payload control system  355  may receive a request to retrieve a parcel from a compartment within the storage system. For example, a user may indicate the compartment (e.g., may select the compartment, may provide an identifier for the compartment, etc.). The user may also provide one or more credentials to access the compartment (e.g., an access code, a code, a password, etc.). The payload control system  355  and/or storage system  390  may authenticate the request retrieve the parcel. For example, the payload control system  355  may authenticate the request and/or use based on the one or more credentials. If the one or more credentials are valid (for the compartment), the payload control system  355  and/or storage system  390  may allow access to the compartment to allow retrieval of the parcel from the compartment. For example, the payload control system  355  and/or storage system  390  may open a door for the compartment. 
     In one embodiment, the storage system  390  may also allow users to drop off one or more parcels for delivery. For example, the payload control system  355  may receive a request from a user to deposit a parcel into a compartment of the storage system  390 . The user may use a code or message to open a compartment of the storage system  390  and deposit (e.g., drop off) a parcel for delivery to another station or stop. The user may indicate a destination and/or recipient for the parcel. After the parcel is deposited by the user, the payload control system  355  may determine whether the parcel (that was deposited by the user) should be placed in the transportation pod  110 . For example, the payload control system  355  may determine whether the transportation pod  110  will stop at the destination indicated by the user. If the transportation pod  110  will stop at the destination indicated at the user, the payload control system  355  may determine that the transportation pod  110  can be used to deliver the parcel to the destination. The payload control system  355  may instruct the mechanical arm  380  to move that parcel from the compartment onto pallet  360 A so that the pallet  360 A can be loaded onto the transportation pod  110 . The pallet  360 A may be placed onto the conveyor system  370  to move the pallet  360 A to the transportation pod  110 . The pallet  360 A may be loaded into the transportation pod  110  using the lift system  375  and/or the conveyor system  370 . 
       FIG.  4    is a block diagram that illustrates an example payload system  350 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The payload system  350  includes a pallet  360 A, a mechanical arm  380 , a storage system  390 , and a payload control system  355 . The payload system  350  may also include a conveyor system  370  and a lift system  375 , as discussed above. 
     Pallet  360 A may be a platform, surface, a tray, etc., that is sized to fit within a transportation pod. The pallet  360 A may hold various parcels  461 . A transportation pod may be able to store multiple pallets at different heights within the transportation pod  310 . Pallet  360 A may include dividers, that allow the pallet  360 A to be divided into different size or shape compartments. The payload system  350  may include various numbers of pallets in different embodiments. 
     The mechanical arm  380  may load parcels onto the pallet  360 A and may unload parcels from the pallet  360 A, as discussed above. The mechanical arm  380  may include various sensors, camera, scanners, etc. The mechanical arm  380  may also include a scanner (e.g., a reader, a barcode scanner, etc.). The scanner may read or scan barcodes on the parcels, the pallets  360 A and  360 B, and the storage system  390 . The mechanical arm  380  also includes a gripping component (e.g., a gripper, a grabber, a hand, a claw, etc.) that may be used to grab, hold, etc., a parcel. 
     The storage system  390  may be a container, locker, etc., that is used to store parcels that are to be loaded onto the transportation pod  310  and have been unloaded from the transportation pod  310 . The storage system  390  may include multiple doors or openings to allow parcels to be placed inside the storage system  390  by the mechanical arm  380  or users. The multiple doors or openings may provide access to compartments within the storage system  390  where parcels may be stored. The storage system  390  may include an interface that allows users to deposit and retrieve parcels from the storage system  390 . 
     The payload control system  355  may be one or more computing devices (e.g., a server computer, a laptop computer, etc.), virtual machines, containers, etc., that may manage, track, etc., the parcels that are loaded or unloaded by the payload system  350 . 
       FIG.  5    is a flow diagram of a process  500  of transporting parcels in a transportation system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. Process  500  may be performed by processing logic that may comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, a processor, a processing device, a central processing unit (CPU), a system-on-chip (SoC), etc.), software (e.g., instructions running/executing on a processing device), firmware (e.g., microcode), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the process  500  may be performed by one or more of a payload control system and a computing device. 
     The process  500  begins at block  505 , where the process  500  may determine that a transportation pod has arrived at a destination. For example, the process  500  may receive a message from a control system and/or may detect the transportation pod via one or more sensors (e.g., a camera, a motion sensor, radar, etc.). At block  510  the process  500  remove a first pallet from the transportation pod and may place the first pallet on a conveyor system (e.g., a conveyor belt). Optionally, the first pallet may already be placed on the conveyor system. The process  500  may remove a set of parcels (e.g., one or more parcels) from the first pallet and place the one or more pallets in a storage system (e.g., a locker) at block  515 . For example, the set of parcels may be parcels that are to be delivered at the destination. The process  500  may remove the parcels from the first pallet and place them in compartments in the storage system for pick up (e.g., via one or more or a mechanical arm, a lift system, and a conveyor system). 
     At block  520 , the process  500  may optionally transmit a message indicating that one or more parcels are in the storage system. For example, the process  500  may transmit a message (e.g., a chat message, an email, a text message, etc.) to one or more users to indicate that their respective parcels are in compartments in the storage system and are ready for pick up. At block  525 , the process  500  may optionally receive a request to retrieve a first parcel. For example, a user may use a control panel, touch screen, keypad, or other interface on the storage system to indicate that the user wants to retrieve a parcel from a compartment of the storage system. At block  530 , the process  500  may optionally authenticate the request and allow access to the compartment to retrieve the first parcel. For example, the process  500  may check the username, passcode, password, PIN code, or other credential that was provided by the user and may open a door to the compartment if the passcode, password, PIN code, or other credential is valid. 
     At block  535 , the process  500  may optionally receive a request to deposit a second parcel in the storage system. For example, a user may want to send a parcel to particular a destination (e.g., a warehouse, another station, etc.). The user may request to deposit (e.g., drop off) the parcel for delivery to the particular destination. The process  500  may optionally authenticate the request to deposit the second parcel at block  540 . For example, the process  500  may check the username, passcode, password, PIN code, or other credential that was provided by the user to determine whether the user is allowed to deposit a parcel. The process  500  may also optionally allow access to the compartment is the user is authenticated (e.g., open a door to the compartment) to allow the user to deposit the parcel in the compartment at block  540 . At block  545 , the process  500  may optionally determine that the second parcel should be placed in a transportation pod at the destination. For example, the process  500  may determine that the parcel should be delivered at the particular destination and that the transportation pod will stop at that particular destination. At block  550 , the process  500  may optionally place the second parcel into the transportation pod (e.g., via one or more or a mechanical arm, a lift system, and a conveyor system), as discussed above. 
       FIG.  6    is a block diagram of an example computing device  600  that may perform one or more of the operations described herein, in accordance with some embodiments. Computing device  600  may be connected to other computing devices in a LAN, an intranet, an extranet, and/or the Internet. The computing device may operate in the capacity of a server machine in client-server network environment or in the capacity of a client in a peer-to-peer network environment. The computing device may be provided by a personal computer (PC), a set-top box (STB), a server, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single computing device is illustrated, the term “computing device” shall also be taken to include any collection of computing devices that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform the methods discussed herein. In some embodiments, the computing device  600  may be one or more of an access point and a packet forwarding component. 
     The example computing device  600  may include a processing device (e.g., a general purpose processor, a PLD, etc.)  602 , a main memory  604  (e.g., synchronous dynamic random access memory (DRAM), read-only memory (ROM)), a static memory  606  (e.g., flash memory and a data storage device  618 ), which may communicate with each other via a bus  630 . 
     Processing device  602  may be provided by one or more general-purpose processing devices such as a microprocessor, central processing unit, or the like. In an illustrative example, processing device  602  may comprise a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or a processor implementing other instruction sets or processors implementing a combination of instruction sets. Processing device  602  may also comprise one or more special-purpose processing devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), network processor, or the like. The processing device  602  may be configured to execute the operations described herein, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure, for performing the operations and steps discussed herein. 
     Computing device  600  may further include a network interface device  608  which may communicate with a network  620 . The computing device  600  also may include a video display unit  610  (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device  612  (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device  614  (e.g., a mouse) and an acoustic signal generation device  616  (e.g., a speaker). In one embodiment, video display unit  610 , alphanumeric input device  612 , and cursor control device  614  may be combined into a single component or device (e.g., an LCD touch screen). 
     Data storage device  618  may include a computer-readable storage medium  628  on which may be stored one or more sets of instructions, e.g., instructions for carrying out the operations described herein, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Instructions  626  implementing one or more of a payload control system, may also reside, completely or at least partially, within main memory  604  and/or within processing device  602  during execution thereof by computing device  600 , main memory  604  and processing device  602  also constituting computer-readable media. The instructions may further be transmitted or received over a network  620  via network interface device  608 . 
     While computer-readable storage medium  628  is shown in an illustrative example to be a single medium, the term “computer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “computer-readable storage medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform the methods described herein. The term “computer-readable storage medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical media and magnetic media. 
     Unless specifically stated otherwise, various actions, functions, methods, and operations described herein may refer to actions and processes performed or implemented by computing devices that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computing device&#39;s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing device memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. Also, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc., as used herein are meant as labels to distinguish among different elements and may not necessarily have an ordinal meaning according to their numerical designation. 
     Examples described herein also relate to an apparatus for performing the operations described herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or it may comprise a general purpose computing device selectively programmed by a computer program stored in the computing device. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. 
     The methods and illustrative examples described herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general purpose systems may be used in accordance with the teachings described herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of these systems will appear as set forth in the description above. 
     The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Although the present disclosure has been described with references to specific illustrative examples, it will be recognized that the present disclosure is not limited to the examples described. The scope of the disclosure should be determined with reference to the following claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which the claims are entitled. 
     As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes”, and/or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Therefore, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. 
     It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. 
     Although the method operations were described in a specific order, it should be understood that other operations may be performed in between described operations, described operations may be adjusted so that they occur at slightly different times or the described operations may be distributed in a system which allows the occurrence of the processing operations at various intervals associated with the processing. 
     Various units, circuits, or other components may be described or claimed as “configured to” or “configurable to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, the phrase “configured to” or “configurable to” is used to connote structure by indicating that the units/circuits/components include structure (e.g., circuitry) that performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the unit/circuit/component can be said to be configured to perform the task, or configurable to perform the task, even when the specified unit/circuit/component is not currently operational (e.g., is not on). The units/circuits/components used with the “configured to” or “configurable to” language include hardware—for example, circuits, memory storing program instructions executable to implement the operation, etc. Reciting that a unit/circuit/component is “configured to” perform one or more tasks, or is “configurable to” perform one or more tasks, is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, for that unit/circuit/component. Additionally, “configured to” or “configurable to” can include generic structure (e.g., generic circuitry) that is manipulated by software and/or firmware (e.g., an FPGA or a general-purpose processor executing software) to operate in manner that is capable of performing the task(s) at issue. “Configured to” may also include adapting a manufacturing process (e.g., a semiconductor fabrication facility) to fabricate devices (e.g., integrated circuits) that are adapted to implement or perform one or more tasks. “Configurable to” is expressly intended not to apply to blank media, an unprogrammed processor or unprogrammed generic computer, or an unprogrammed programmable logic device, programmable gate array, or other unprogrammed device, unless accompanied by programmed media that confers the ability to the unprogrammed device to be configured to perform the disclosed function(s). 
     The foregoing description, for the purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the embodiments and various modifications as may be suited to the particular use contemplated. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.