Ford and Domino’s to test self-driving pizza delivery

Ford Motor and Domino’s Pizza Inc in September will start testing Michigan consumers’ responses to having their pies delivered by self-driving vehicles the companies stated on Tuesday.

And it is not going to be the first experiment with innovative pizza delivery technology. Australia-based Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, largest independent franchisee of the Ann Arbor-based company, has tested delivery to consumers in New Zealand through drone and self-driving robot.

In a post last week, Sherif Marakby, head of Ford’s autonomous and electric vehicles, signaled the automaker’s wider ambitions, saying Ford prepared to work together with several partners in deploying self-driving automobiles designed to enhance the motion of individuals and goods.

In the past, Ford executives had stated the company expected to introduce a self-driving shuttle bus for commercial ride-sharing fleets in 2021.

Domino’s and Ford will deliver pizzas to randomly picked consumers in the Ann Arbor area in a Ford Fusion Hybrid geared up with self-driving technology. The delivery vehicles initially will be piloted by human motorists.

Customers will have the ability to track the delivery procedure through GPS and will receive text messages on the best ways to retrieve their pizzas when the delivery vehicle has arrived.

A range of start-up shipment services, a lot of them funded by equity capital, have been exploring on-demand delivery of various packages, consisting of groceries, ready food and drinks. So have big names, from Uber to Amazon.