Starting this week, Domino’s pizzas will arrive in Houston aboard a small autonomous vehicle called the R2 from the Nuro company. This type of delivery formally starts after almost two years of the announcement of the project among the companies.
How the delivery will work
When Woodland Heights residents order pizza, they can choose to have R2 deliver their food. By selecting this option, they will receive a PIN and can track the location of the vehicle through text messages on their smartphone or on the Domino’s page.
Once the R2 arrives, customers will be asked to enter the PIN on the touch screen located in the center of the vehicle. After entering the password, the doors of R2 will gently swing upward, revealing the pizza to the customer.
This program will allow you to better understand how customers respond to deliveries, how they interact with the robot, and how it affects store operations.
Dennis Maloney, Domino’s senior vice president and chief innovation officer, said in a statement that the company still has a lot to learn about autonomous delivery.
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“We’re excited to continue innovating the delivery experience for Domino’s customers by testing autonomous delivery with Nuro in Houston,” he said.
Domino’s claims the R2 is the first fully autonomous delivery car to receive regulatory approval from the US Department of Transportation.
Previously, Nuro’s vehicles have been put to the test and serve local communities in Texas, Arizona and California, where they deliver everything from fresh produce to prepared food.
Written by I Jhonattan González