Autonomous delivery and retrieval of inventory holders at transfer locations

Abstract

The present disclosure describes delivery and/or retrieval of inventory holders to different transfer locations using an automated ground vehicle. In accordance with the described implementations, rather than the vehicle waiting at the transfer location for the agents to arrive and retrieve the items from the inventory holder, the autonomous ground vehicle, working in conjunction with an autonomous transition unit that accompanies the vehicle, transfer the inventory holder containing the items to the transfer location and departs without waiting for the agents to retrieve the items from the inventory holder and continues on to another transfer location at which it will deliver another inventory holder and/or retrieve an inventory holder. Once all the items have been retrieved from an inventory holder delivered to a transfer location, the autonomous ground vehicle may update its route to navigate back to the transfer location and retrieve the inventory holder.