DoorDash has stepped up its service offerings by incorporating robots into its on-demand food delivery service.
The company, which is based in San Francisco, has partnered with robotics startup Marble to pursue a pilot project that will soon have four-wheeled machines delivering food to customers, Venture Beat reports.
But the robots will not be venturing out on their own right away, DoorDash Head of Communications Eitan Bencuya said. Instead, they will be monitored by a person nearby to ensure food is delivered on time and the machines are working at full capacity.
What About Theft?
While the companies do not have a set timeline as to when the machines will be able to operate on their own, there is a plan in place to prevent theft and the destruction of property when the machines finally are making deliveries on their own.
“Marble robots contain a locking system so that food cannot be removed during the delivery. When the robot arrives at the destination, the customer is texted a passcode that he or she can use to unlock the robot and take out the food,” Bencuya told Bisnow in an email.
DoorDash operates in more than 500 cities across the U.S. but those outside of San Francisco will still be collecting deliveries from humans, at least for now. At present the robot pilot project is limited to the Bay Area.
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