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SecularMotion

(7,981 posts)
Fri Mar 18, 2016, 09:17 PM Mar 2016

Domino’s is trialling an autonomous pizza delivery robot

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Pizza delivery boys and girls, beware! Pizza giant Domino’s has unveiled an autonomous pizza delivery robot that is being trialled in New Zealand.

On Friday the company unveiled the Domino’s Robotic Unit (DRU), and announced that the bot had already carried out its first successful pizza delivery on March 8. “DRU is an autonomous delivery vehicle and is set to take the world by storm,” the company wrote in a statement on its website.

The vehicle’s development started in 2015 and was pushed towards commercialisation by Domino’s Australia-based skunkworks DLab. According to a promotional video (embedded below), DRU uses software developed by the Australian military contractor Marathon, which manufactures autonomous robots with obstacle-avoidance capabilities.

This feature has been incorporated in DRU, which according to Domino’s can dodge hurdles thanks using on-board sensors. The autonomous four-wheeler is about one metre tall and contains two different compartments to keep beverages cool and pizzas (up to ten per robot) hot, which customers can unlock with an order-specific code. It can carry out a delivery within 20 kilometres from the store before needing a battery charge, and it is designed to move on both footpaths and roads.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/03/dominos-pizza-delivery-robot/
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RKP5637

(67,107 posts)
3. Yep, pizza would be stolen, unit taken for parts/play or vandalized for the hell of it. Or run over
Fri Mar 18, 2016, 09:30 PM
Mar 2016

as fair game. Pathetic, but true of the US, just like they killed the robot going cross-country hitching rides, etc.

longship

(40,416 posts)
7. "pizza would be stolen"???
Fri Mar 18, 2016, 11:11 PM
Mar 2016

I can tell that you've never tried to eat a Dominoes pizza before. Take my advice. Don't even try. Save yourself.

The pizza would be safe in their little robot. But yeah, the robot would get stripped clean, leaving the pizza behind.


Odin2005

(53,521 posts)
11. "they killed the robot going cross-country" That story pissed me off.
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:33 PM
Mar 2016

Who could harm a cute robot?

longship

(40,416 posts)
6. Co. created by utter religious nutcase.
Fri Mar 18, 2016, 11:05 PM
Mar 2016
Tom Monaghan who wants to build a Monaghan-Catholicism only town Ave Maria, Florida.

He also helped found the totally idiotic Thomas More Law Center which disastrously lost the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District federal court case in PA, which thankfully killed Intelligent Design in public school for all time.

Plus, they DO make horrible pizza!!!

mr clean

(170 posts)
4. I don't see Domino's bring them to the States,
Fri Mar 18, 2016, 10:08 PM
Mar 2016

They will cost the company too much to make.

Last I heard the drivers are part-time and drive own cars. Can't compete with that.

Zing Zing Zingbah

(6,496 posts)
9. This doesn't seem like it would work in situations where there are a bunch of stairs
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 09:05 AM
Mar 2016

to get to the delivery location.

pinboy3niner

(53,339 posts)
12. From the photo, it looks like a mobile pizza cannon
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:43 PM
Mar 2016

"Adjust fire. Right 5, add 10--and try not to hit the kid in the doorway this time."

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