What's the news?
With all the huge developments in self-driving vehicles, lots of reasons have been given as to why autonomous cars are a good idea - the primary argument being that they're safer than machines operated by humans. But we bet nobody thought of a really key benefit: the ability to get a 12-inch Hawaiian and garlic bread delivered to your door, without the need for an awkward doorstep conversation with a surly 17-year-old.
Luckily, thanks to Domino's Pizza and Ford, now we know that autonomous cars can perform a vital function in ferrying takeaway food about our urban areas. The two companies have collaborated on a project to see how customers react to having their pizzas delivered by a self-driving car, in this case a Ford Mondeo. It's important stuff because it gives Ford a chance to examine and understand customers' perceptions of driverless motors... and, of course, their role in the future of food delivery.
Patrick Doyle, Domino's president and CEO, said: "As delivery experts, we've been watching the development of self-driving vehicles with great interest as we believe transportation is undergoing fundamental, dramatic change. We pride ourselves on being technology leaders and are excited to help lead research into how self-driving vehicles may play a role in the future of pizza delivery. This is the first step in an ongoing process of testing that we plan to undertake with Ford."
Over the next few weeks, randomly selected Domino's customers in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will have the chance to receive the delivery order from a Ford Fusion (the US name for the Mondeo) Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle.
Weirdly, it will be manually-driven by a Ford safety engineer and staffed with researchers, so it won't be that self-driving, but customers who agree to participate will be able to track the delivery vehicle through GPS, using an upgraded version of Domino's Tracker. As the car gets close, the customers will receive text messages to inform them of the unique code they'll require to retrieve their pizza from the locked Domino's Heatwave Compartment inside the vehicle.
Russell Weiner, president of Domino's USA, added: "We're interested to learn what people think about this type of delivery. The majority of our questions are about the last 50 feet of the delivery experience. For instance, how will customers react to coming outside to get their food? We need to make sure the interface is clear and simple. We need to understand if a customer's experience is different if the car is parked in the driveway versus next to the kerb. All of our testing research is focused on our goal to someday make deliveries with self-driving vehicles as seamless and customer-friendly as possible."
Anything else?
"As we increase our understanding of the business opportunity for self-driving vehicles to support the movement of people and goods, we're pleased to have Domino's join us in this important part of the development process," said Sherif Marakby, Ford vice president for autonomous and electric vehicles. "As a company focused on the customer experience, Domino's shares our vision for a future enabled by smart vehicles in a smart environment that enhance people's lives."