UPDATE: August 26, 2016 at 12:24 p.m.
The future is officially here, people. Pizza delivery via drones is now a reality of the present, not just something you daydream about when you're too lazy to get off the couch. Flirtey, an top-notch independent drone delivery service, teamed up with Domino's to create the first ever pizza delivery drone in Auckland, New Zealand yesterday.
The drone, which successfully completed one autonomous flight, has incredible packaging techniques that make sure the pizza stays toasty and delicious through the flight to delivery. It's made of carbon fiber, aluminum, and 3D-printed components. Driven electrically unmanned, the drone has several built-in safety features, like "low battery return to safe location" and "auto-return home" in case of loss of GPS signal or communication.
The completed flight was the last step in the approval process, which means drone delivery will soon be available to customer's homes. Just like with DRU, Domino's Robotic Unit, the delivery drone demonstrates just how dedicated Domino's is to keeping its delivery methods innovative and creative.
"Partnering with Flirtey to revolutionize the delivery experience is an achievement that will set our company apart in the minds of customers," Don Meij, Group CEO and Managing Director of Domino's Pizza Enterprises stated. "Domino's customers can expect the freshest and fastest pizza delivery service at the same quality they have come to expect from us thanks to Flirtey's industry-leading technology."
While this amazing invention is only available in New Zealand currently, there are new drone regulations taking effect in the U.S. very soon, meaning that delivery-by-drone could soon be available stateside.
ORIGINAL POST: March 18, 2016 at 8:59 a.m.
Now this is a technological advancement we can get behind. Domino's Pizza has announced it will begin trials with the first-ever food-delivery robots in New Zealand.
They're calling the hi-tech driverless droids DRU, for Domino's Robotic Unit. It's about three-feet high and holds up to 10 pizzas in a heated compartment, according to Yahoo News.
Check out DRU in action in this video Domino's New Zealand posted on Facebook:
[facebook ]https://www.facebook.com/DominosNZ/videos/vb.45469552461/10153573273467462/?type=2&theater[/facebook]
To avoid random people popping the top off DRU for a snack when they see it driving down the sidewalk, customers will get a code when they order, which they will enter into a keypad to unlock the pizza compartment, according to Yahoo News. New Zealand's government is reportedly totally on board with the robots, but no trial date has been set yet.
"DRU is cheeky and endearing and we are confident that one day he will become an integral part of the Domino's family," the chain's New Zealand general manager Scott Bush told the outlet. "He's a road to the future and one that we are very excited about exploring further."
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