AUTOMATED CONNECTION BETWEEN VEHICLE AND COUNTERPART-DISPOSED CONFIGURATION

Disclosed herein is a vehicle, comprising a vehicle-defined connection counterpart and an object manipulator. The object manipulator comprises an end effector releasably coupled with the vehicle-defined connection counterpart, such that a coupled end effector is established, and a guide, configured for guiding displacement of the end effector. The vehicle-defined connection counterpart is configured for connection to a configuration-defined connection counterpart of a configuration, such as a trailer or a charging dock. While the object manipulator is disposed in contact engagement with the configuration, in response to a force applied to the object manipulator for urging displacement of the object manipulator towards the configuration, an alignment reaction force is applied by the configuration to the object manipulator to urge displacement of the object manipulator, with effect that an alignment relationship-obtaining displacement of the coupled end effector, relative to the configuration-defined connection counterpart, is effectuated by the alignment reaction force.