First pizza delivery robot unveiled by Domino's in Australia

Domino’s Australia has turned a military robot into a pizza delivery droid.

DRU, Domino’s Robotic Unit, a prototype of what Domino’s says is the world’s first autonomous pizza delivery vehicle, was unveiled in Brisbane.

The four-wheeled vehicle standing at just under a metre high has a heated compartment that can hold up to 10 pizzas.

The fast food retailer built the droid with Australian start-up Marathon Robotics using a robot sourced from the military and their own technology, including Domino’s GPS tracking data.

DRU, which could spell the beginning of the end of the pizza delivery boy, has a sensory system that uses lasers to move around obstacles in its path to travel unassisted to a customer’s address.

The four-wheeled robotic unit travels up to speeds of 20km/h and is designed to cruise on footpaths, trails, and bike paths.

When it reaches its destination, the customer enters a security code in their phone to tell the robot to open its locked storage compartment and deliver the pizza.

Domino’s Group CEO and managing director, Don Meij said that autonomous vehicles were set to open up new opportunities and create an impetus for innovation for Domino’s globally and in Australia.