Rise of the machines Machines may soon be taking over the mean streets of suburban America . . . in the form of Dot by DoorDash. However, it'll be groceries and take-outs that it delivers rather than justice.
The autonomous robot has been built by DoorDash Labs, the delivery company’s in-house automation and robotics developer. We're told it is set to travel on bike lanes, roads, side walks, and driveways, no matter the time of day or whatever the weather.
DoorDash Dot delivery robot - Click to enlarge
The all-electric autonomous four-wheeled bot – which measures about one tenth the size of a car – can move at speeds of up to 32 kph, enough to outpace the average human.
According to DoorDash, Dot’s speed and size is designed for quick local deliveries – it isn’t going to be making voyages across the country any time soon. It is intended to help reduce congestion and emissions on the roads.
Register for The Register's Forums here.
The look of the roving red robot might not strike fear into your typical meatbag (ED-209 it is not) unless they work as a delivery driver for DoorDash. The company says, however, that its legion of Dashers will always be essential; the Dot just augments the workforce.
An early access program has already started in Tempe and Mesa, Arizona and the delivery biz wants to extend access to Dot to the rest of Phoenix by the end of this year. DoorDash said it sees "expansion into multiple new markets" in the future.
"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," said Stanley Tang, co-founder and head of DoorDash Labs.
"Dot is purpose-built for the millions of deliveries we facilitate every day. It is small enough to navigate doorways and driveways, fast enough to maintain food quality, and smart enough to optimize the best routes for delivery," he added.
With the large lights on the front seemingly designed to look like cartoonish eyes and the way Dot opens its Pac-Man style ‘mouth’ to receive and deliver items, the robot appears to have been designed to look as non-threatening as possible. Perhaps it is DoorDash Dot, rather than the people of America, who should be worried about safety.
Caution is advised, however. Just as it is advisable to be courteous to AI chatbots, those with ill-intent toward Dot may consider that it one day may have a larger sibling able to crush human bone when the robot uprising begins.
DoorDash Labs says that Dot is designed to react appropriately to "varied human behaviour." A video accompanying the launch shows the robot slowing down or stopping to avoid hazards like children, cute dogs, or soccer balls crossing its path. It uses lidars, radars, cameras, and other sensors to ensure 360-degree situational awareness and reaction to the environment as appropriate.
If that fails, DoorDash has "remote operators" that can "step in to assist" as well as "a local operations team... on hand to resolve anything that can’t be managed remotely."
Phew. Unless, of course, you're a delivery driver with one eye on your new emotionless colleagues joining the workforce. ®
Source: The register