With the way these cute delivery robots look like, Ridesharing Forum would have to take a breather from opposing delivery robots and drones since they take human jobs – go on, just take those jobs… for now.
Earlier this week, DoorDash introduced Dot, a cute, red-colored robot of deliveries that now navigates the busy streets, parking lots, and sidewalks of Phoenix, Arizona to deliver the food of customers.
DoorDash’s Dot is equipped with eight cameras and three lidar sensors to navigate road scenarios, such as crowded parking lots, blocked bike lanes and busy streets. It also features an internal camera to ensure good food quality.
In this world where traffic is a disadvantage and a nightmare, people prefer to order their food cravings from home. This offers a lot of benefits.
DoorDash’s newest delivery robot Dot marks the app’s first-ever official standalone push into autonomous vehicle technology. You could recall how DoorDash previously tested drone delivery and partnered with Sam Altman-backed startup Coco Robotics for sidewalk delivery.
Coco Robotics is the globe’s biggest urban robot delivery platform. Founded in 2020, this platform already completed over 500,000 zero-emission deliveries, serving customers in the United States and Europe. Coco Robotics’ mission is to create a more sustainable, reliable, and affordable last-mile logistics solution in cities internationally.
Stanley Tang, DoorDash’s co-founder, told Ridesharing Forum, “The scale and complexity of the business demands something like autonomy, and there isn’t anything out there that fits our use case.”
Tang, who leads the DoorDash Labs automation and robotics unit, further stated how Dot is a solution to the increasingly complicated deliveries, and attempts to open the technologies to local merchants.
Dot isn’t only cute, but this robot is capable of reaching up to 20 miles per hour and carry up to six pizza boxes, or 30 pounds of items. Whoa!
While these delivery robots are challenging human drivers and taking away their jobs, autonomous delivery is an emerging trend. Earlier this month, you could recall how Uber unveiled a food delivery partnership with Flytrex, based in Israel, and previously also delivered food via self-driving Waymo cars.
Dot is currently being tested in Phoenix, and is expected to expand to other metropolitan areas in the vicinity. Merchants and restaurants may avail of Dot via the new autonomous delivery platform of DoorDash, which also covers drone delivery.
Ordering via DoorDash is easy. Launch the app, log in, then place your order. The deliveries and tasks will be handled by Dashers, who then earn money by picking orders up from restaurants and delivering them to the customers.