Domino's Unveils Pizza Delivering Robot Prototype
Posted on March 25, 2016
Domino's Australia has announced it is working on a pizza delivery robot. Domino's is calling the bot a DRU, which stands for Domino's Robotic Unit. Someday in the future a little robot like this could deliver pizzas to your door.
The DRU is a small four wheeled vehicle. It has compartments to keep your pizza hot and your drinks cold. Domino's says the DRU can navigate from its starting point to its final destination - your home. It has sensors that enable it to avoid obstacles. Domino's says it also has a "friendly persona."
Domino's partnered with Marathon Targets to develop the technology. Marathon says in a statement, "We are proud to also be part of this world-first innovation in pizza-delivery technology."
CNN reports that the bot is currently just a prototype. A fleet of pizza bots won't be arriving in the near future. However, a company named Starship is developing fleets of similar robots to deliver groceries and other products.
The technology for this type of robot is here today but there are still many hurdles before pizza bots like the DRU are delivering pizzas. One of the issues with a pizza bot is getting the bot to cross busy streets. Many people in cities also do not live on the ground floor where a delivery robot will have easier access. The bot will also have to avoid potential pizza thieves it might encounter on its path from the restaurant to your home. There are also those pizza delivery guys that will be out of work. In a video about the DRU, Domino's Australia talks about a race to the first to deliver robotic pizza delivering technology. Take a look: