The world of artificial intelligence is expanding at a rapid rate, and its massive potential is perhaps most clear in the automotive industry. When we think of AI's use in transportation, we often cast our minds to self-driving cars and getting shuttled around in autonomous Ubers from location to location. But the possible applications of AI in vehicles extends way beyond simply becoming a backseat driver. According to the United Nations' Office at Geneva, AI is expanding in the transportation sector at a rapid rate. In fact, in terms of patent filings, artificial intelligence within transportation is growing at over four times the rate of that in life and medical sciences.

Walmart and Nuro announced a collaboration today in which the two companies will pilot autonomous grocery delivery in Houston, TX via Nuro's self-driving pod-like vehicles. In the coming months, the autonomous delivery service will be available to Houston customers who have opted into the program. The service will use R2, Nuro's custom-built delivery vehicle that carries only products with no onboard driver or passengers, and autonomous Toyota Priuses, all powered by Nuro's proprietary self-driving software and hardware. Nuro's R2 pods are low-speed vehicles roughly half the size of regular cars. There are two compartments for cargo, and literally no room for a driver. The advantage of the R2 is that is is more nimble than a full-sized auto and can't drive as fast.