Transportation network utilizing autonomous vehicles for transporting items

A computer implemented method to transport items, the method comprising:

• under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,
• determining a plurality of possible travel paths through a transportation network for an item, each of the plurality of possible travel paths beginning at an origin network location and ending at a destination network location for the item, wherein each of the different possible travel paths includes at least two path segments with a different autonomous vehicle utilized to transport the item along each path segment, each of the autonomous vehicles having an autonomous vehicle control system, the transportation network including a plurality of intermediate network locations to which the item may be transported as part of the plurality of possible travel paths;
• receiving transportation information that is related to one or more transportation factors;
• and
• selecting a travel path for the item from the plurality of possible travel paths based at least in part on the received transportation information, wherein the selected travel path includes transport of the item along a first path segment to an intermediate network location by a first autonomous vehicle having a first autonomous vehicle control system, wherein the intermediate network location is a meeting location that is determined for a meeting of the first autonomous vehicle with a second autonomous vehicle having a second autonomous vehicle control system for transferring the item for further transport along a second path segment.

A system to transport items, the system comprising:

• first and second autonomous vehicles configured to transport items between network locations in a transportation network, the first autonomous vehicle comprising:
• a propulsion system;
• an engagement mechanism to engage an item;
• and
• an autonomous vehicle control system configured to control the propulsion system and the engagement mechanism, the autonomous vehicle control system comprising:
• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least:
• control the engagement mechanism to engage an item;
• control the propulsion system to transport the item to a meeting location that is a next network location along a travel path for the item, wherein the meeting location is determined for a meeting of the first autonomous vehicle with the second autonomous vehicle for transferring the item for further transport;
• and
• control the engagement mechanism to disengage the item at the meeting location so that the second autonomous vehicle may engage and transport the item from the meeting location as controlled by an autonomous vehicle control system of the second autonomous vehicle.