System and method for intermodal materials delivery

A materials storage, movement, transfer, and transit station system adapted for use at a transit stop for facilitating simultaneous movement and transfer of passengers and materials on any of a plurality of materials enabled transit and delivery vehicles, comprising:

• a transit stop structure comprising a plurality of sensor arrays;
• a warehouse for storage of materials adjacent said transit stop structure;
• an unloading and loading system comprising at least one robotic manipulator attached to at least one of said transit stop structure and said warehouse for unloading and loading of materials between the vehicles and said warehouse during transit stops of the vehicles;
• and
• a station computer system with a processor configured to:
• receive materials delivery data of materials on any of the vehicles from a materials delivery computer system;
• receive transit routing and schedule information of each of the vehicles from a mass transit computer system;
• receive materials presence and accessibility data comprising at least one of presence of vehicles, position of vehicles, space on vehicles for materials, and materials to be unloaded and loaded via said transit stop structure and said station computer system;
• receive human movement data comprising at least one of pedestrian movement, passenger movement, and passenger count via said transit stop structure and said station computer system;
• receive vehicle-specific data comprising at least one of GPS data, vehicle type data, direction-of-travel data, position data, material retaining capability data, energy type and usage data, platooning data, autonomous capability data, load position data, locking mechanism data, and materials location within vehicle data via said transit stop structure and said station computer system;
• process the materials delivery data, the transit routing and schedule information, the materials presence and accessibility data, the human movement data, and the vehicle-specific data to:
• determine vehicle locations and positioning of the vehicles relative to said transit stop structure;
• allocate resources related to unloading and loading by:
• storing materials or grouping materials at pre-positioned locations for accessing, unloading, loading and storing materials into said warehouse without interference of at least one of passenger movement and vehicle traffic;
• guiding the vehicles to available lanes and locations to accommodate said unloading and loading system to safely and accurately access materials;
• and
• predicting where and when a transit/delivery ratio should shift to alter types, number, and frequency of the vehicles employed using at least one of goods/people ratio, time, anticipated ridership changes;
• control said unloading and loading system for unloading and loading;
• track and communicate routing of materials onboard the vehicles;
• and
• facilitate accuracy and efficiency of unloading and loading of the materials by avoiding interfering with pedestrian and passenger movement on the vehicles at said transit stop structure.