Say good-bye to the pizza delivery boy and hello to the worlds first pizza delivering droid, DRU.
As of last night (17 March), Domino's has stepped up the game in the pizza delivery world with the unveiling of the Domino's Robotic Unit or DRU. Only being a prototype of what (according to Domino's) is the worlds first autonomous pizza delivery vehicle, the droid has been built with Australian start-up Marathon Robotics using a robot sourced from the military that utilises the Domino's GPS tracker.
DRU will be able to reach a speed of 20km/h and have the ability to travel on footpaths, bike paths and trails. With an in-built sensory system, the delivery unit will use laser guidance to move around obstacles which then allows it to travel unassisted and unharmed to the customers address, easy.
Upon arrival, customers will enter a security code on their phone which will cause DRU to unlock its storage compartment, where customers will then be able to get their pizza and also interact with the robot. That's right, DRU will engage with customers throughout this futuristic journey. According to Domino's, DRU will be making appearances in stores throughout the next six months, but unfortunately won't be coming to our doors for another two years.
Domino's World First Autonomous Delivery VehicleMeet DRU - The newest team member to join the Domino's family! He's the world's first autonomous pizza delivery vehicle!DRU has a passion for delivering piping hot meals and a nice warm smile to customers. While he won't be taking to the streets tomorrow, he is enjoying his early progress as a prototype and giving customers a glimpse into the future of what is possible. We're excited to welcome DRU into the team and we're sure you'll love getting to know him and his cheeky personality!#DRU #DominosAU #MoreThanJustPizza #TheFuture #GameChanger
Posted by Domino's Australia on Thursday, 17 March 2016
For any Domino's employees, don't sweat just yet Don Meij, Domino's Group CEO can confirm that the unit won't takeover traditional drivers as there will be a lot of areas the robot won't be able to reach. “I think drivers are going to be around for a long time, currently we have three types of deliveries: electric bike, motorbike and car.” DRU will simply be another member of the delivery team.
All starting from a big idea and a microchip in 2015, to months of testing, Domino's have certainly outdone themselves with this science venture step forward in technology, hoping that the robot will have the ability to inform future regulation of automated delivery services and self-driving vehicles in Australia. "With autonomous vehicles opening up possibilities for saving lives, saving time and moving goods more efficiently, we look forward to continuing our work in this field and leading the commercial trials."
