Domino's is bringing robotic pizza delivery to New Zealand. The pizza chain today*announced that it will trial a battery-powered delivery robot in the capital city of Wellington, describing the bot as "the*world's first autonomous pizza delivery vehicle."
Known as DRU (Domino's Robotic Unit), the four-wheel robot was developed in Australia and is capable of completing deliveries within a 20-mile radius on a single charge. DRU stands at just under three-feet tall, and uses an array of sensors to avoid obstacles. Up to 10 pizzas can be stored in the bot's heated compartment, which can be unlocked with a code that customers are given when they order.
A start date for the Domino's trial has not been announced, but New Zealand's government is already very excited about it. "This is an exciting opportunity for New Zealand... over the last 12 months I’ve been actively and aggressively promoting New Zealand as a test bed for new transport technology trials," Transport Minister Simon Bridges tells the*AFP.
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