Domino's Pizza introduces pizza delivery robot

[Borgholio]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2 ... 22771336=1

Robots have changed our lives in many ways, from advancing our healthcare and automating our factory lines, to taking on dangerous tasks and even taking our place in warfare.

Now Domino's have developed possibly the greatest use for robots yet - safe and secure pizza delivery in what the company claims is a world first.

The company is testing pizza delivery by robot in New Zealand, known as the Domino's Robotic Unit (DRU). The three-foot tall battery-powered unit contains a heated compartment for storing up to 10 pizzas, and is capable of self-driving up to 12.5 miles, or 20 km from a shop.

The robot sports sensors for detecting obstacles on its route, and customers are given a unique code to key into the pizza compartment once it arrives at their house to prevent thieves from trying to steal its goods en route.

It has been designed to drive on both roads and pavements, and will return to its store to recharge once the delivery has been completed.

The 'cheeky' robot is just under a metre tall Credit: Dominos

"DRU is cheeky and endearing and we are confident that one day he will become an integral part of the Domino's family," the chain's New Zealand general manager Scott Bush said.

"He's a road to the future and one that we are very excited about exploring further."

Domino's and the New Zealand government are working towards a date for the trial to begin, although driverless vehicle regulations in the country are still being discussed.

In November last year the company created an 'easy order' button, a physical button customers could press to order a pizza when the thought of lifting up the phone is just too much effort.

The button syncs with a smartphone via Bluetooth and connects with an app to automatically place the order. Once pressed, it glows red to indicate the pizza is on its way.

The company will be holding a competition to select a number of "superfans" to receive one of the Limited Edition Easy Order buttons. Details of the competition will be revealed in December.

However, for the rest of us, there is a digital version of the Easy Order button on the Domino’s app and website that allows customers to order their favourite pizza wherever and whenever they choose.

If this came to the US, I'd have to try it once just to say I did it. Just like I tried ordering a pizza from within Everquest when they had a promotion many years back by typing /pizza in the game console.

Oh, and Dominos has an easy button? Hmmm...

[Solauren]

I can see this becoming expensive.

Now a days, in bad neighbourhoods, the pizza man might get mugged for the pizza.
WIth this, the pizzaman might get stripped for parts....

[Flagg]

Yeah, but at least the pizza man won't be beaten half to death with a golf club like a coworker bragged he and a cousin of his did. Vero Beach, FL: Not a Great Place ro Visit, an Even Worse Place To Live!

[U.P. Cinnabar]

Yeah, but at least the pizza man won't be beaten half to death with a golf club like a coworker bragged he and a cousin of his did. Vero Beach, FL: Not a Great Place ro Visit, an Even Worse Place To Live!

Being the pizza man is a damned dangerous occupation in many neighborhoods. My very first job was driving for Domino's, delivering to some of the worst neighborhoods in Macon(mainly ABC City), back during the "30 minutes or less or it's free" days.

I gave away a lot of free pizza that first year.

[U.P. Cinnabar]

WIth this, the pizzaman might get stripped for parts....

Or get tagged with graffiti. Probably the latter.

Infinitely more preferrable to sending a live pizza delivery guy to some place where he's likely to get assaulted/killed for the pizza, the money, the pizza and the money, or just for the hell of it.

[Simon_Jester]

Preferable.

I have a cynical suspicion, though, that because of all the times the machines get damaged, vandalized, or otherwise sabotaged, Domino's that do delivery in dangerous areas may end up being among the last to adopt the robots. At least, unless Domino's has to pay insurance or medical bills for its delivery staff when they get injured on duty.

[Elheru Aran]

Preferable.

I have a cynical suspicion, though, that because of all the times the machines get damaged, vandalized, or otherwise sabotaged, Domino's that do delivery in dangerous areas may end up being among the last to adopt the robots. At least, unless Domino's has to pay insurance or medical bills for its delivery staff when they get injured on duty.

Ha. Haha. Ha. You wish.

No, I'm pretty certain that most pizza chains don't give a shit about the driver unless-- this is a big IF-- they're full-time and draw benefits. As long as the driver brings back the money and keeps the customers happy (in that order), he/she is disposable otherwise.

[Flagg]

Yeah, these are companies that charge "delivery fees" that don't go to the delivery drivers in any way. They even have to pay for their own gas. That's why I always tip them and try to tip in cash so no greedy managers can get a cut if it's charged to the card.

[FaxModem1]

Already posted here.

[Simon_Jester]

Yeah, these are companies that charge "delivery fees" that don't go to the delivery drivers in any way. They even have to pay for their own gas. That's why I always tip them and try to tip in cash so no greedy managers can get a cut if it's charged to the card.

Mm. Good point about the cash tips, will try to remember that (I already tip separately).

I was just checking; I figured that the company probably wouldn't pay for your medical bills if you got stabbed while delivering their pizza. But as I mentioned, they may not have to pay if a driver gets stabbed; they definitely have to pay if one of their robots gets trashed with a crowbar by some random idiot who wants a pizza.

[Zaune]

Now a days, in bad neighbourhoods, the pizza man might get mugged for the pizza.
With this, the pizzaman might get stripped for parts....

I dunno. The pizza drone might be more vulnerable to spur-of-the-moment thefts, but it's not going to be worth much to a chop-shop.

[InsaneTD]

The gold and copper might be worth stripping from the things. Plus ghetto robot wars.

[Simon_Jester]

Plus, frankly, if you're willing to mug a pizza delivery guy (who usually isn't carrying that much money at any one time) you're probably willing to mug a pizza delivery robot. Even if their scrap value is in the double digits.

Heck, I was speculating on them being attacked by people who just want the pizza they're carrying. I am sure there are criminals out there who would vandalize a robot to get ahold of a few pizzas.

Unlike a human delivery person, the robots will be moving on sidewalks and trails, so they're easier to get at than a person who spends most of their time in a car.

[Zaune]

True. I was thinking more of a premeditated ambush where the perpetrator picks out an empty house and uses a burner phone; your average scally isn't going to go to that much trouble for $25's worth of pizza and whatever valuables the driver has on them, but I can see it being worthwhile for a vehicle as well. And there's less chance of a college student on minimum wage having a pistol under their coat, I expect.

[Elheru Aran]

*checks article* The pizza delivery robot is... a robot. It's a small trolley-like machine, about the size of a large pram. Doesn't look like it has the capacity to go very quickly.

I suspect all transactions using the robot are prepaid, so it doesn't carry any money. Obviously nobody is tipping the robot. They could stick a fiver in the pizza-box compartment if they want to send something back to the people who prepared it, I suppose.

Unless mugging commercial robots becomes a thing because people start building robots for their own use at home or business and need the parts, I don't see this thing being particularly at risk. Now, kids mugging it just for kicks, that I can see happening pretty easily.

[Lagmonster]

The question isn't whether people will abuse the machine, because they WILL. The question is whether it costs less to replace one of these than the salary of a driver. Because if it a) works about as reliably as a human, and b) costs about the same, fuck the human.

[Elheru Aran]

The question isn't whether people will abuse the machine, because they WILL. The question is whether it costs less to replace one of these than the salary of a driver. Because if it a) works about as reliably as a human, and b) costs about the same, fuck the human.

True enough.

Let's look at some back-of-envelope math...

7.25/hour is minimum wage. Pizza drivers have usually been working at least a couple months or so before the store puts them on delivery duty, so let's be generous and say 7.50.

Hours/week... full time is 30-40 (you think 40 hours is 'full time'? Ha, no, not in food service... they call anything over 30 hours 'full time' and still screw you out of benefits), so let's say 25 hours a week as part time. That comes out at $362.50 for every two weeks' worth of work. Minus tax, call it maybe 330 a paycheck. Annually, that comes out at $8,580. That doesn't count any tips and any extra hours over schedule worked, of course.

So could you make one of these robots for south of $10K? I'm guessing it's possible. However, pizza guy can still work even if sick or slightly injured (I know I did often enough at Taco Bell)-- bot tires go flat out on the road, some hooligan bashes its nose in, its battery dies, someone has to go retrieve it or fix it. That's an additional cost right there. Then also, assuming the robot gets vandalized to the point that it's nonfunctional, you have to replace it entirely, and that's a lump-sum cost compared to hiring a temp. So I don't know if it works out yet, in the short term. I do think it's probably inevitable they're going to replace the drivers within a decade or two, though...

[bilateralrope]

Obviously nobody is tipping the robot. They could stick a fiver in the pizza-box compartment if they want to send something back to the people who prepared it, I suppose.

The robot is being tested in New Zealand. Tipping doesn't happen here.

7.25/hour is minimum wage. Pizza drivers have usually been working at least a couple months or so before the store puts them on delivery duty, so let's be generous and say 7.50.

The Government announced that the adult minimum wage will go up by 50 cents to $15.25 an hour from 1 April 2016.

There are all sorts of factors which could mean that robots doing a specific task will be viable in some countries, but not others.

[Lagmonster]

So, it's a race. What comes first, the cheap robot, or the country that enforces a minimum wage higher than what it takes to build any robot?

[Starglider]

So could you make one of these robots for south of $10K? I'm guessing it's possible.

Of course it is. A standard golf cart costs 5K USD retail, with twice the and ten times the payload. The electronics amount to a couple of iPads. Assuming series production and corporate orders of several hundred, cost would probably be 3K USD; plus whatever early adopter premium they can get to amortise the R&D cost.

[InsaneTD]

@Aran, probably has solid rubber tires one plastic wheels, flats aren't a problem. Though it does leave the question of how far ahead the designer thought, ie, winter and ice. Bet it wasn't far enough and these things struggle.

For how long this thing would take to get to its destination, I'm guessing it had s heated compartment. Wonder if it had a cold one for drinks.

Honestly, a driver with a car is more efficient, they can deliver to three or four places at a go and travel faster. I think this might see some use in city centers were density is high, but will otherwise be ignored in suburbs and small towns.

[U.P. Cinnabar]

The gold and copper might be worth stripping from the things. Plus ghetto robot wars.

Also the platinum, if the robot is being driven by an internal-combustion engine using a catalytic converter.

[bilateralrope]

Though it does leave the question of how far ahead the designer thought, ie, winter and ice. Bet it wasn't far enough and these things struggle.

If they run that robot in Auckland or Wellington then winter isn't going to be much of a problem.

[biostem]

I'm assuming that the robot only delivers to customers that paid by credit card, (so no need to carry cash), and it likely has cameras in all angles, (both for liability reasons and to identify any attackers). Of course, it's not difficult to just put on a mask, and I'm positive that they won't roll these out in dangerous neighborhoods, (at least not initially). They would probably need to keep a maintenance person on-call...

[InsaneTD]

The gold and copper might be worth stripping from the things. Plus ghetto robot wars.

Also the platinum, if the robot is being driven by an internal-combustion engine using a catalytic converter.

Not sure about NZ but here is Australia I'm pretty sure any motor like that small enough for one of those wouldn't be required to have one. I think it's more likely to have lithium batteries of some description. And automatically docks and charges when not travelling.


Edit: Damn Typos.