Starship Technologies launches pilot program with Domino’s Pizza Enterprises
By Canadian Packaging staff
Automation Design & Innovation General Robotics Domino’s Pizza Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Domino’s Robotic Unit pizza delivery robot Starship TechnologiesEuropean cities to experience autonomous Domino’s pizza via robotic delivery devices.
Why did the robot cross the road? To deliver your pizza, of course.
Unfunny pun (and Abbey Road parody) aside, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises—the master franchisor for the Domino’s Pizza brand in Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Japan and Germany—is working with Starship Technologies on a pilot programs to deliver pizza to customers using robot and drone technologies.
Starship Technologies has designed and built autonomous robots to deliver Domino products within a one-mile radius of select German and Dutch cities.
The robots can travel up to four mile per hour (6.4 kph), using sensors and cameras to navigate sidewalks and cross the street. The robots drive autonomously but are monitored by humans who can take control at any time.
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises is the largest franchisee of the Domino’s Pizza brand in the world, completing hundreds of thousands of deliveries every day from more than 2,000 stores across the company’s seven markets. Domino’s Robotic Unit (DRU) will oversee the partnership, after providing 2016 testing of ground- and air-based delivery solutions.
“We’re shared in our vision with Domino’s to constantly improve convenience for the customer,” says Starship Technologies chief executive officer Ahti Heinla. “Not only is Domino’s pizza delicious, but the perfect topping is giving back the luxury of time and control to the customer, and our robots are best placed to offer this.”
Domino Group chief executive officer and managing director Don Meij says the partnership between the company and Starship Technologies is an important next step in bringing robot pizza deliveries to reality.
“We are a global company and we are eager to progress innovative technology in all of the countries in which we operate – we are very excited to be partnering with Starship as it brings regular deliveries by robot one step closer to commercial operations,” says Meij.
“Robotic delivery units will complement our existing delivery methods, including cars, scooters and e-bikes, ensuring our customers can get the hottest, freshest-made pizza delivered directly to them, wherever they are,” he continues. “With our growth plans over the next five to 10 years, we simply won’t have enough delivery drivers if we do not look to add to our fleet through initiatives such as this.”
About Starship Technologies
Launched in July 2014, by two Skype co-founders—Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis—Starship Technologies is building a fleet of autonomous robots designed to deliver goods locally in 15-30 minutes within a two-mile radius. Company information available at www.starship.xyz.
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