Domino’s delivers first pizza by robot

Dana McCauley
MAY 11, 2017
news.com.au

DOMINO’S has finally delivered its first pizza by robot.

More than a year after unveiling its DRU prototype in Brisbane, the fast food chain has successfully transported its first meal to an actual customer — silencing the critics, who have queried whether the company’s hi-tech experiments are just a publicity stunt.

Domino’s chief digital officer Michael Gillespie said the milestone proved the company was serious about its investment in technology, which he said was necessary “to manage the huge growth of our business and meet demand”.

While it was too early to say how many of the robots would be deployed, Mr Gillespie said: “It’s not going to be an uncommon occurrence”.

But Australian customers will face an indefinite wait before they will be able to try out the technology, with no immediate plans to roll out the service Down Under.

Instead, German pizza lovers will be able to choose robot delivery when placing orders in Hamburg, thanks to Domino’s partnership with automated courier service Starship Technologies.

The London-based company has been making robots since 2014 and its autonomous delivery service operates throughout Europe, clocking up 20,000km in November 2016. A trial is also under way in the United States.

The pizzas are packed into a locked compartment that can only be opened using the Domino’s app, and the robot delivers the package by rolling along the foot path.

A two-way audio system and alarm system, along with multiple cameras, allow the robot to navigate the city streets.

This obstacle detection system to build a picture of the area they are travelling through, with sensors to her them avoid people and to cross roads when it’s safe to do so.

But the technology is still in its infancy and Starship robots are closely supervised by humans, with the robots programmed to call for help if they find themselves unable to safely cross a busy street.

Closer to home, Mr Gillespie said Domino’s was pressing ahead with its drone delivery trial New Zealand, working to make the technology viable with lessons gleaned from its trial in Auckland late last year.