Photo: Mike Curtain/Dominos
The robot has a temperature-controlled box designed to keep your pizza's piping hot and your drinks cold that rises up from inside the device to allow customers to collect their meal after imputing a unique code
'Uses military laser technology to navigate the streets'
Company worked in collaboration with Marathon Robotics for six months
White, four-wheeled robotic unit can travel up to speeds of 20 kilometres
It users lasers to identify obstacles and has a temperature-controlled box
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A military robot that was designed to dodge bullets in the battlefield will now deliver pizza to your doorstop.
Domino's Australia has been working in a development lab with Australian start-up company Marathon Robotics for about six months to create DRU, the world's first autonomous delivery vehicle.
The white, four-wheeled robotic unit can travel up to speeds of 20 kilometres
Domino's Australia has been working with start-up company Marathon Robotics to create the world's first autonomous delivery vehicle - a robot that delivers pizza to your doorstep
Inside DRU's sleek white exterior lies a temperature-controlled box designed to keep your pizza's piping hot and your drinks cold that rises up from inside the device to allow customers to collect their meal after imputing a unique code.
'It seems pretty crazy to us that one and a half - two tonne vehicles deliver a few hundred grams of pizza in the neighbourhood,' Domino's Group CEO and Managing Director Don Meij said.
Mr Meij thinks traditional delivery methods are still 'quite an inefficient way for the future' but said there are still deliveries that DRU simply can not do.
The Australian entrepreneur, who started out as a delivery driver himself, said the new system has the potential to reduce costs to the business like wages, but thinks its unlikely DRU's will be taking the jobs of young delivery drivers who make up a large percentage of the workforce.
'It pulls a lot of cost out of the business. Obviously labour is the number one cost; the whole management of our delivery fleet is expensive,' he said.
The white, four-wheeled robotic unit can travel up to speeds of 20 kilometres and is able to navigate the streets independently, with a built in sensory system that uses lasers to can identify obstacles
The unit can travel around 20 kilometres on its rechargeable battery and while DRU's power unit will be altered to give it more longevity in the future
'But even when DRU hits the streets there will be people monitoring its performance.
'This will create jobs in Australia. As we move, jobs move.
Consumers will have to meet the 190 kilogram robot out on the curb as he is not yet able to climb stairs or open doors, however the added effort will likely go unnoticed once they start engaging with DRU's 'cheeky' artificial intelligence.
'If you knew a DRU was coming a lot of people would be prepared to come to the curb,' Mr Meij said.
The unit can travel around 20 kilometres on its rechargeable battery and while DRU's power unit will be altered to give it more longevity in the future, Mr Meij said it isn't completely necessary given that most deliveries are within three to five kilometres from the store.
'You would be surprised how small our delivery areas are and how many deliveries he could be doing right now,' he said.
DRU's autonomous delivery system will eliminate human error, like getting lost or in a car accident, which Mr Meij claims will only make Domino's much safer.
Inside DRU's sleek white exterior lies a temperature-controlled box designed to keep your pizza's piping hot and your drinks cold that rises up from inside to allow customers to collect their meal after imputing a code
Domino's Australia has been working in a development lab with Australian start-up company Marathon Robotics for about six months to create DRU, the world's first autonomous delivery vehicle
The unit can travel around 20 kilometres on its rechargeable battery and can travel up to speeds of 20km
While he would not disclose how much money had been invested in developing the world first technology, Mr Meij said there would be sophisticated security cameras fitted to the device that will instantly transmit images to the cloud in case a drunken vandal tries to damage the expensive robot.
Mr Meij said DRU is 'technically' ready for deployment, but there are a number of hoops he will have to jump through before he is operating out of stores.
The robotic unit has been on several live trial runs but he still needs to pass a number of safety tests outlaid by various state and federal bodies that regulate the use of roads and footpaths.
The delivery vehicle is able to negotiate rocky, sandy or muddy terrain but he will remain on footpaths and bike trails until Domino's and each state's roads and traffic authority are able to determine how DRU could safely utilise main roads without jeopardising the safety of pedestrians, cyclists or other drivers.
'Roads are still a bit of a worry for us obviously and that's why DRU is still limited but bike paths and bridges,' he said.
The robot is able to negotiate rocky, sandy or muddy terrain but he will remain on footpaths and bike trails until Domino's works out how it can safely utilise main roads
Consumers will have to meet the 190 kilogram robot out on the curb as he is not yet able to climb stairs or open doors
Inside DRU's sleek white exterior lies a temperature-controlled box designed to keep your pizza's piping hot and your drinks cold that rises up from inside to allow customers to collect their meal after imputing a code
He said Domino's are 'working with government agencies on the project to ensure all legal requirements are met.
'The agencies have been very supportive in the process to date and we're all excited about what this technology can lead to.'
The technology that gives DRU his personality and independence is still being developed but Mr Meij said it should be 'more robust and fool proof' after a bit more time is spent in the lab, which means it may be a 'couple of years' before the robotic unit is rolled out in franchises across the globe.
The announcement of Domino's newest 'team member' was made in front of 11,000 franchisees at the company's annual gala dinner on Thursday night .
It is yet to be determined whether franchisees will rent or purchase the devices to be used in store, but as they will need to be continually maintained it is likely Domino's will own the androids.
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