Autonomous Self-Driving Robots Deliver Pizza And More
Autonomous delivery robots have been running in trials in some places but they are now expanding. It will no longer be just delivery from the curb, but from store to the curb like what is being implemented in Houston, TX. Domino’s Pizza has teamed up with self-driving car company Nuro to deploy autonomous delivery robots in the Houston area. This comes at a time when delivery service demand is up due to the effects of the COVID-19 virus.
Domino’s Pizza is going down in history with another example of being the first to try emerging technologies. Back in 2016 they were also involved in delivering the first pizza by drone in New Zealand. The pizza chain seems to be on top of the latest technologies which has kept them competitive in a digital world. Domino’s Pizza has embraced the Internet with online delivery or take out via the web through their website and from social media platforms like Facebook Messenger, Google Home and even Twitter. That now accounts for 65% of their sales (2019 data). They can add delivery robots to that list.
Benefits Of Driverless
The coming of autonomous delivery robots is not a trend that is about to disappear. It is probably going to gain traction towards further demand and acceptance by the market. In a time when companies are minimizing costs and investing in more capital towards technology, this can be the answer. It will either displace more people or fill the gap of the lack of workers in the labor force, depending on the region. Some places may have the labor force that can provide the staff for delivery services. The delivery robots can be beneficial to companies in areas where there is a lack of manpower resources.
To be practical, human labor is usually widely available in cities. It may even be more costly to use delivery robots. Restaurants would have to allocate parking spaces for their fleet of delivery robots, and will have to also take on the burden of maintenance costs. A cheaper alternative is to hire workers who can ride bicycles to make the deliveries. Workers are more readily available in these areas and bicycles are cheaper than delivery robots.
It is fair to say that in crowded metropolitan areas that the autonomous delivery robots can displace willing and able workers. There are people living in those areas who are up for the job. When it comes to more rural or less densely populated areas, this is where delivery robots could find higher demand. Finding workers in these areas are not as easy since they have a lower population. Another advantage of areas like these is that navigating would probably be less complex for delivery robots to figure out. This is ideal for campus environments as well. Urban areas like LA or New York can be a maze that requires more development for accuracy and reliability.
How It Works
A typical delivery robot service will make use of a smartphone app. Users will need to download and install the app, and then they can begin making orders. The order is placed from the app and it will go to the restaurant’s computer system. Dispatch will place the orders for the staff to prepare, and once ready they will send it for delivery.
The orders are placed in special locked compartments inside the delivery robot. To unlock, the user is given a key code that they will either key in or QR code to the delivery robot. Payments are made using the app as well and the key code is only given upon the completion and confirmation of an order. Once the compartment is unlocked, the user can get their food and the delivery robot can go about their way.
There are still issues that could arise, like what if a user does not pick up their order. Certain conditions need to be added to the software, like sending a follow up message via SMS or through the app to remind a user about their order. Users might also try to cancel an order that has already been prepared, so certain rules need to be stated to make things flow more smoothly with the least amount of concerns.
The Question Of Safety
A question that arises is whether delivery robots are safe to the public. According to some trials, it appears to be. UC Irvine (UCI) has a delivery robot service on campus called Zot Bots. Students on campus use an app to request for delivery from an affiliated restaurant and it will be brought to them by these delivery robots. There have been no reported incidents (as of this writing) that involved the delivery robots compromising student safety. These delivery robots are smaller compared to the Nuro delivery robots, so they are safer. They also cover a smaller area that makes navigation for the robots much easier. The most important thing is to make sure that these delivery robots are not going to endanger the public.
LiDAR and cameras are important elements of autonomous vehicles and that includes delivery robots. The software is also going to be an important part of the system. Together these elements help delivery robots identify their environment. From people crossing the street to identifying other cars while in traffic, these elements need to have a high level of accuracy. There is no doubt the engineering will involve the use of machine learning (AI) to train the delivery robots in various situations. In a more urban environment like in Houston, the delivery robots have to know when to yield to pedestrians and stop at intersections.
Synopsis
These deployments, once proven to be safe and reliable, can open the path to other businesses besides food delivery. Some trials are also using the robots for home delivery of groceries and medicines. Consumers can choose to have the delivery by a human driver as well, but delivery robots provide another option. Delivery robots can begin with pizza for now, but eventually they will be used for other services.
