Automated delivery system for brick and mortar retail locations
This application describes an automated inventory detection, retrieval and delivery system for traditional brick and mortar retail locations. The automated inventory detection, retrieval and delivery system may be retrofitted to existing brick and mortar retail locations to enable contactless ordering and retrieval of items.
1. A method for contactless delivery of an item at a brick and mortar retail location, comprising:
receiving, from a computing device, a request for an item, the item being physically located within the brick and mortar retail location;
in response to receiving the request for the item, causing a robotic delivery system associated with the brick and mortar retail location to retrieve the item;
causing the robotic delivery system to place the item in a delivery compartment at the brick and mortar retail location;
once the item is placed in the delivery compartment, automatically updating, in substantially real-time, inventory information associated with the item, the inventory information indicating the item is no longer available even though the item is physically located in the delivery compartment at the brick and mortar retail location;
receiving, from the computing device, a request for a second item;
causing the robotic delivery system to place the second item in the delivery compartment with the item;
automatically updating, in substantially real-time, inventory information associated with the second item, the inventory information indicating the second item is no longer available even though the second item is physically located in the delivery compartment;
receiving, from the computing device, authentication information verifying an identity of an individual associated with the request;
in response to receiving the authentication information, releasing the item and the second item from the delivery compartment to the individual; and
verifying the inventory information associated with the item or the second item in response to the item or the second item being removed by the individual from the delivery compartment.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the robotic delivery system to place the item in the delivery compartment comprises causing the robotic delivery system to place the item in the delivery compartment in response to received location information associated with the computing device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting that the item has been replaced into the delivery compartment.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising updating the inventory information associated with the item in response to the item being replaced into the delivery compartment.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery compartment is accessible on an outer wall of the brick and mortar retail location.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a remote computing device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is associated with the brick and mortar retail location.
8. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations, comprising:
receiving, from a computing device, a request for an item, the item being physically located within the brick and mortar retail location;
in response to receiving the request for the item, causing a robotic delivery system associated with the brick and mortar retail location to retrieve the item;
causing the robotic delivery system to place the item in a secure delivery compartment at the brick and mortar retail location;
in response to the robotic delivery system retrieving the item or placing the item in the secure delivery compartment, automatically updating, in substantially real-time, inventory information associated with the item, the inventory information indicating the item is no longer available for purchase even though the item is physically located in the secure delivery compartment at the brick and mortar retail location;
receiving, from the computing device, a request for a second item;
causing the robotic delivery system to place the second item in the secure delivery compartment with the item;
automatically updating, in substantially real-time, inventory information associated with the second item, the inventory information indicating the second item is no longer available even though the second item is physically located in the secure delivery compartment;
receiving, from the computing device, authentication information verifying an identity of an individual associated with the request;
in response to receiving the authentication information, releasing the item and the second item to the individual from the secure delivery compartment; and
verifying the inventory information associated with the item or the second item in response to the item or the second item being removed by the individual from the delivery compartment.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein causing the robotic delivery system to place the item in the secure delivery compartment comprises instructions for causing the robotic delivery system to place the item in the secure delivery compartment in response to received location information associated with the computing device.
10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions for determining whether the item has been removed from the secure delivery compartment.
11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising instructions for updating the inventory information associated with the item in response to determining the item has not been removed from the secure delivery compartment.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the secure delivery compartment is accessible on an outer wall of the brick and mortar retail location.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the secure delivery compartment is accessible within the brick and mortar retail location.
14. The system of claim 8 wherein the secure delivery compartment is accessible on surface that that has been retrofit within brick and mortar retail location.
15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the computing device is a remote computing device.
16. The system of claim 8 , wherein the computing device is associated with the brick and mortar retail location.
17. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations, comprising:
storing inventory information associated with an item physically available at a brick and mortar retail location;
receiving a request for the item;
causing a robotic delivery system associated with the brick and mortar retail location to retrieve the item;
causing the robotic delivery system to place the item in a secure delivery compartment associated with the brick and mortar retail location;
once the item is placed in the secure delivery compartment, automatically updating, in substantially real-time, the inventory information associated with the item, the inventory information indicating the item is no longer available for purchase even though the item is physically located within the brick and mortar retail location;
receiving a request for a second item;
causing the robotic delivery system to place the second item in the secure delivery compartment with the item;
once the second item is placed in the secure delivery compartment, automatically updating, in substantially real-time, the inventory information associated with the second item, the inventory information indicating the second item is no longer available for purchase even though the second item is physically located within the brick and mortar retail location;
receiving authentication information verifying an identity of an individual associated with the request;
in response to receiving the authentication information, permitting access to the secure delivery compartment; and
verifying the inventory information associated with the item or the second item in response to the item or the second item being removed from the secure delivery compartment.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the secure delivery compartment is posited on an outside wall associated with the brick and mortar retail location.