Domino’s Robot Pizza Delivery Means Nothing Will Ever Be the Same
Ordering pizza has just gotten high tech. Again.
Domino's plans to test a new service in New Zealand in which a robot will deliver orders to customers. The innovation is called DRU, which stands for Domino's Robotic Unit. DRU, described as "the world's first autonomous pizza delivery vehicle," has the ability to travel up to 20 miles on one charge and goes about 12 miles per hour, so it can take lightly-traveled roads (but definitely not highways).
DRU stands a mere three feet tall, weighs about 420 pounds, and has four wheels and sensors, which will help it evade anything that may get in its way. It's also equipped with GPS and can carry up to 10 pizzas, while customers are given a code to unlock the food from a heated compartment.
Domino's Australia has every intention of making DRU as much a part of the company as its cheesy bread -- it plans to have the robot fully ready (at least in that part of the world) in two years.
And let's not forget about the two white elephants in the room: first, Domino's is aware people are bound to try and rob or deface DRU, but says it will have cameras that will record every interaction. Second, the human delivery driver isn't going anywhere -- well, except to make more deliveries (no matter what the obstacle may be). Domino's says drivers will continue to be employed, since DRU can't get everywhere.