Domino's is building on its fresh ideas including one-click Easy Order button and delivery car with a built-in pizza oven. An Australian startup has now developed a pizza-delivering robot called Domino's Robotic Unit (DRU). The autonomous vehicle (AV) includes robotics technology to deliver hot pizzas to hungry customers living in Queensland.

Like Us on Facebook

Domino's claims that the DRU robotic delivery car is the first one of its kind. The pizza chain teamed up with Australian technology company Marathon Targets to develop the AVs built with military robotics tech worth thousands of dollars, according to Engadget. It also includes tech used by self-driving cars, and GPS tracking for syncing with Google Maps.     

DRU is still a prototype vehicle. However, Domino's has worked with the federal agency Main Roads and Queensland Department of Transport to make sure it meets all the requirements to be road-ready.  

Domino's delivery AVs are equipped with LIDAR used by self-driving cars to allow them to identify objects in their surrounding environment. They also have built-in GPS tracking tech that works with Google Maps.

In fact, the DRUs have already made deliveries to some streets approved by the local transportation authorities. A Domino's droid delivered its first pizza pie on March 8, according to Ars Technica.

The autonomous delivery cars are locked so people cannot steal a fresh pizza with meat and vegetable toppings. Customers must key in a mobile code in order to open the DRU's insulated storage area that has areas for hot and cold food and drinks.

DRU will first be tested in Australia. However, the pizza company is working with global partners to make sure that delivery robot meets safety requirements to be tested on roads and sidewalks.

Development of the robotic pizza delivery vehicle started last year. It includes software created by the military contractor Marathon that builds obstacle-avoiding autonomous robots.

DRU uses onboard sensors to detect and avoid objects in its way. Domino's bots are about one meter tall (3.3 feet) and can deliver a hot pie within 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from a pizza place.

The AVs will hit retail stores within the next six months, but the pizza delivery shuttles might not have a wide rollout until two years from now.