Quartermaster
Originally designed to shelve books in gnomish archives, the quartermaster was soon adapted for use in warehouses, cargo vessels, industrial facilities, and anywhere goods must be transported through tight corridors or be placed on high shelves. The quartermaster is constructed of several independently articulating wheels for use on flat surfaces and a structural framework. Mounted to this framework is a flatbed. Above is an articulating heavy-duty manipulator claw capable of gripping objects and lifting them up to 4 meters off the ground. The quartermaster is driven primarily by standard industrial artificial intelligence, however due to its extreme strength and power, it is normally operated or supervised by a pilot with a utility vehicle certificate.
The Quartermaster's arm has a reach of up to four meters off the ground, allowing it to place or retrieve objects normally out of reach of crew.
The flatbed is good for storing its load, and the manipulator claw is capable of lifting objects off the bed or the ground.
While this feature is not advised for personnel without a utility vehicle certification, a person can ride-along with a quartermaster to supervise it, or save a long walk.
Quartermaster artificial intelligence has advanced significantly over the years. Approximately 50 years ago, a number of corporations experimented with autonomous learning AI to help optimize their warehouse operations. However, there were a number of incidents that followed which alarmed both industry workers and AI researchers alike. The first incident discovered quartermasters rearranging employee desks and furniture after hours. After that, a quartermaster discovered that it could double its reach by lifting a second one off the ground. And while the least overtly dangerous, the most alarming incident involved a quartermaster taking over a corporate scheduling system to fire an entire warehouse staff. Since then, this experimental logistics AI has been retired and all known units have been recalled.