Domino’s Pizza Inc and Nuro Inc, a Silicon Valley start-up, announced on Monday, April 12, that a robotic pizza delivery service will be launched in Houston this week, in order to meet the online orders during the pandemic.
Nuro has been winning regulatory approvals ahead of other autonomous vehicle start-ups, by using lightweight, low-speed vehicles to transport parcels rather than people. Last year, it received approval from the US government to begin unmanned delivery services.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Nuro recently received a $500 million investment, which included an equity investment from Woven Capital, the mobility investment arm of a Toyota Motor Corp subsidiary, bringing its overall value to more than $5 billion.
According to Cosimo Leipold, Nuro’s head of partner relations, the delivery service will begin at a Domino’s outlet in Houston before expanding to serve customers in several other locations as part of a long-term partnership.
In a quote, Leipold said, “It’s usually difficult for large corporations to employ enough drivers to fill their delivery demand.Nuro’s weekly deliveries almost tripled in the first three months of the pandemic, according to Leipold. Nuro has also collaborated with retailers Kroger Co, Walmart Inc, and CVS Health Corp to distribute groceries and drugs.
Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States, has one of the highest rates of traffic fatalities in the world. “The roadways in Houston present difficult situations for our technology to deal with,” Leipold said.
In 2019, Nuro and Domino’s said they planned to introduce robot pizza delivery by the end of the year. “Nuro and Domino’s have taken a calculated approach to ensure a smooth and secure deployment,” said Leipold.
Nuro was founded in 2016 by two former Google engineers and raised $940 million from the SoftBank Vision Fund.
OTSAW Digital, Singapore:
A Singapore technology company has deployed a pair of robots to deliver groceries to residents in one section of the city state, hoping to capitalise on an increase in demand for home deliveries.
The robots’ services were provided to 700 households in a one-year trial developed by OTSAW Digital and was called “Camello.”
Users can schedule milk and egg deliveries, and an app will notify them, when the robot is nearing a pick-up location, which is normally an apartment building lobby.
The robots, which have 3D sensors, a camera, and two compartments, each capable of carrying up to 20 kg (44 lb) of food or parcels ordered online, make four or five deliveries per day on weekdays and are available for a half-day on Saturday.
After each flight, they disinfect themselves with ultraviolet light, according to Ling Ting Ming, CEO of OTSAW Digital.
“Everyone is looking at contactless, humanless, particularly during this pandemic period,” he told Reuters.
Workers accompany the robots on their rounds for the time being to ensure that no problems occur.
Tashfique Haider, a 25-year-old student who has used the service, believes it could be particularly useful for the elderly, as it eliminates the need for them to bring goods around.
However, a bystander expressed concern that the technology may be too much for others. “It would appeal to the younger consumers. I don’t think they would (the older generation), since these are devices that younger people enjoy,” said Xue Ya Xin, a 36-year-old housewife.
