We have written more than once about Ford’s developments in the field of unmanned vehicles and autonomous delivery of goods, so such a pizza delivery program was expected. And the pioneer, who was not afraid to try out a new type of delivery of orders to customers, was a large network of pizzerias Domino’s Pizza. At the moment, the tests will be carried out in the USA, but in case of a successful test drive, a similar system may reach Russia, where Domino’s pizzerias also exist.
As part of the first phase of the joint autonomous pizza delivery project, Ford and Domino’s Pizza will investigate customer response to tech-driven order fulfillment, as well as how much the customer needs to interact with an autonomous vehicle. This will help not only understand consumers and improve service during testing, but also introduce people to a new type of food delivery.
For example, research will help you understand whether it is convenient for a customer to leave home to pick up their order. Perhaps, if the vast majority of customers do not want to leave their living space, the autonomous delivery system will be supplemented by unmanned aerial vehicles that can deliver pizza directly to the customer’s balcony.
The hybrid-powered Ford Fusion Hybrid will be used as an experimental vehicle for autonomous pizza delivery. During the tests, the behavior of the car will be monitored by engineers and researchers who will be in the car in case of emergency. But in general, Ford Fusion will carry out traffic on the roads itself.
Patrick Doyle, President of Domino’s, believes that the traditional delivery system is on the verge of fundamental changes. And if so, it is impossible to stay away from progress, otherwise, sooner or later, someone else may become a leader in the use of unmanned technologies in the field of food delivery. In addition, Patrick sees great promise in the use of autonomous delivery vehicles, and CHIP cannot but agree with this.
For example, customers who ordered pizza will be able to track the position of the car on the map, thanks to the GPS tracker in the car and the Domino’s Tracker software service. When the car arrives, the buyer will receive an SMS notification with instructions on how to get the pizza from a special heated compartment in the car. For those who use mobile applications for ordering a taxi, this way of interacting with a client is familiar firsthand.
Ford plans to launch mass production of civilian unmanned vehicles as early as 2021. Without a doubt, the insights gained from the interaction with Domino’s Pizza will also play a significant role in refining and training test artificial intelligence, which is entrusted with ensuring traffic safety on public roads.
