Ford Teams With Domino's on Self-Driving Pizza Delivery Test

Ford Teams With Domino's on Self-Driving Pizza Delivery Test
Advertisement

Ford Motor and Domino's Pizza in September will begin testing Michigan consumers' reactions to having their pies delivered by self-driving vehicles, the companies said on Tuesday.

It will not be the first experiment with advanced pizza delivery technology. Australia-based Domino's Pizza Enterprises, the Ann Arbor-based company's largest independent franchisee, has tested delivery to customers in New Zealand via drone and self-driving robot.

In a blog post last week, Sherif Marakby, head of Ford's autonomous and electric vehicles, signalled the automaker's broader ambitions, saying Ford planned to cooperate "with multiple partners" in deploying self-driving vehicles "designed to improve the movement of people and goods."

Previously, Ford executives had said the company expected to launch a self-driving shuttle for commercial ride-sharing fleets in 2021.

Domino's and Ford will deliver pizzas to randomly selected customers in the Ann Arbor area in a Ford Fusion Hybrid equipped with self-driving technology. The delivery vehicles initially will be piloted by human drivers.

Customers will be able to track the delivery process via GPS and will receive text messages on how to retrieve their pizzas once the dellivery vehicle has arrived.

A number of start-up delivery services, many of them funded by venture capital, have been experimenting with on-demand delivery of different packages, including groceries, prepared food and beverages. So have larger companies, from Uber Technologies to Amazon.

Opinion is still divided, however, on whether automation can help solve some vexing delivery problems, such as how to deliver pizzas economically to the fifth floor of a college dorm.

The Ford-Domino's test vehicle will not attempt to resolve that conundrum. It will stop outside the customer's house, so it will not provide true door-to-door delivery service.

"We're still focused on the last 50 feet," said Domino's spokeswoman Jenny Fouracre. "That's a big challenge - getting (the pizza) from the curb to the door."

© Thomson Reuters 2017

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Moto G5 Plus Price Cut in India, Following Moto G5S Plus Launch
VMware Cloud Now Available on Amazon Web Services
Share on Facebook Gadgets360 Twitter Share Tweet Snapchat Share Reddit Comment google-newsGoogle News
 
 

Advertisement

Follow Us

Advertisement

© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »