Domino’s latest “deliveryman” stands 3 feet tall and doesn’t need to be tipped. It has ferried pizzas in Brisbane at up to 12 mph, and the company’s Australian master franchise said it’s excited for what could come next.

“We have a relentless passion to push the boundaries of what’s possible with pizza delivery,” said Michael Gillespie, chief digital officer for Domino’s in Australia. “As we get further, it’s not hard to believe that we might have a store with a couple of robots that are doing deliveries.”

Domino’s has started using a robotic cart named DRU, short for Domino’s Robotic Unit, to deliver its offerings. So far Domino’s has only one DRU. The prototype was developed with an Australian startup, Marathon Robotics.

The DRU drives on bike paths and sidewalks to find the most efficient, fastest route. Gillespie pointed to its ability to circumvent heavy traffic as a key advantage over vehicles. DRU is not being used on roadways, and legal approval is a hurdle.

“We need to work with government to change regulations,” Gillespie said. “Working with them is hopefully going to push new frontiers and new boundaries … .”

The Australian master franchisee for Domino’s, which has stores in six other countries, has already discussed its robotic deliveryman with the New Zealand government.

Gillespie said he was excited with results of tests because people were willing to walk out of their home, meet DRU on the sidewalk and engage with it. DRU has a compartment that pops open, capable of holding an average order.


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