Are you hungry? Want fast delivery of pizza, but don’t want to talk to anyone? There’s a solution for that.
Domino’s and Ford have formed a partnership to use self-driving Ford Fusions equipped with sensors, electronics and software, to deliver pizza to Domino’s customers in Ann Arbor, Mich. In the next few weeks, the companies will be able to see first-hand how customers respond to the new driverless delivery technology. What happens in the final 50 feet? Do people want to go outside to take delivery? Is it taking delivery simple to understand?
The cars will have safety engineers and researchers inside to monitor activities and customers’ reactions. Customers can track the delivery car through GPS, and when the car arrives, a text message will be sent to customers about how to retrieve their pizza.
Testing automated deliveries to homes and businesses goes far beyond just pizza. Deliveries from online shopping already total in the billions of dollars, and there is even more application in the future. Need roofing materials or building supplies? What about cooked meals, or ingredients for dinner?
One big advantage of the autonomous deliveries – no tipping required!
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Poll students: What do they have delivered to their homes now? What would they like to see delivered in the future?
- Show video: https://youtu.be/hANXIPxN1ME
- Ask for reactions. What would be their behavior for this type of delivery?
- What are the advantages, and disadvantages of driverless delivery?
- Form students into teams. Have each team develop a list of possible research questions that Ford and Domino’s would use to evaluate and revise the service.
Source: New York Times, Associated Press, other news sources
