DoorDash customers in the Phoenix metro area may have their next meal delivered to their homes not by a Dasher, but a Dot.
The delivery company on Tuesday unveiled a friendly-looking red autonomous delivery bot named Dot, calling it the first such robot with the ability to maneuver within bike lanes and on roads and sidewalks, and the first to built expressly for local commerce.
The company touted Dot as a more efficient and economical way of delivering orders of smaller-sized goods, such as toiletries for example, that don’t require a vehicle for transport.
“You don’t always need a full-sized car to deliver a tube of toothpaste or pack of diapers. That’s the insight behind Dot,” Stanley Tang, co-founder and head of DoorDash Labs, the robotic solutions arm of the business, said in a statement. “The breakthrough wasn’t just making it autonomous, but in making it reliable and efficient to serve the needs of local businesses and consumers.”
Dot can move at up to 20 miles per hour, ensuring food deliveries arrive in a speedy manner. It is also smart and nimble enough to navigate doorways and driveways, the company said. It stands about five feet tall, and can carry up to 30 pounds of merchandise.
DoorDash said its AI-powered “Autonomous Delivery Platform” makes decisions about which orders are best suited for Dot delivery, based on the delivery location and other factors.
“Whether that’s a Dasher, a Dot on the road, a drone in the air, or a sidewalk robot, the platform orchestrates these decisions in real-time to optimize across our entire global network,” the company said.
Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman touted the partnership as one that positions the Phoenix suburb at the forefront of the future of local delivery.
“Seeing these autonomous delivery robots on streets throughout Mesa demonstrates how these advanced technologies can meet daily needs while strengthening the local businesses at the heart of our community,” he said in a statement.
