Devices, systems, and methods for secure and adaptable transportation of goods and/or persons

An apparatus, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
• receive a device identification (ID) of a particular user device of one or more user devices of a user and purchase information regarding a purchase, by the user via the particular user device, of one or more goods or services to be provided to the user using the automated transportation service;
• send the device ID of the particular user device to a central server;
• send information regarding the particular user device;
• determine a selected self-driving transportation vehicle based on the purchase information and the information regarding the particular user device;
• send a vehicle ID of the selected self-driving transportation vehicle to the central server;
• control the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, by sending instructions to the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, to navigate to a general location of the particular user device according to global positioning system signals until the selected self-driving transportation vehicle detects a near field communication signal of the particular user device;
• control the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, by sending instructions to the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, performing, via near field communication, a handshake procedure between the selected self-driving transportation vehicle and the particular user device to authenticate each other via the device ID and the vehicle ID;
• and
• upon determining a successful completion of the handshake procedure, control the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, by sending instructions to the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, to navigate to a landing pad of the particular user device according to the near field communication after having navigated to the general location of the particular user device according to global positioning system signals.

A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to:

• receive a device identification (ID) of a particular user device of one or more user devices of a user and purchase information regarding a purchase, by the user via the particular user device, of one or more goods or services to be provided to the user using the automated transportation service;
• send the device ID of the particular user device to a central server;
• send information regarding the particular user device;
• determine a selected self-driving transportation vehicle based on the purchase information and the information regarding the particular user device;
• send a vehicle ID of the selected self-driving transportation vehicle to the central server;
• control the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, by sending instructions to the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, to navigate to a general location of the particular user device according to global positioning system signals until the selected self-driving transportation vehicle detects a near field communication signal of the particular user device;
• control the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, by sending instructions to the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, performing, via near field communication, a handshake procedure between the selected self-driving transportation vehicle and the particular user device to authenticate each other via the device ID and the vehicle ID;
• and
• upon determining a successful completion of the handshake procedure, control the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, by sending instructions to the selected self-driving transportation vehicle, to navigate to a landing pad of the particular user device according to the near field communication after having navigated to the general location of the particular user device according to global positioning system signals.