Well, get ready — two household names are about to embark on that experiment.
Ford Motor Co. and Domino’s Pizza have said they will explore using self-driving cars for home delivery of pizza. The joint research will be conducted in Ann Arbor, Mi., home to the University of Michigan, home to Domino’s Pizza and located about 30 miles west of Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.
“The focus of self-driving cars has largely been on the technology — the machine,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst with Autotrader, a Cox Automotive brand. “But, ultimately, self-driving vehicles must improve people’s lives. Through the seemingly mundane business of pizza delivery, Ford and Domino’s will explore the human-machine interface of self-driving vehicles, which ultimately could be the most important measure of the technology’s success.”
“The alliance between Ford and Domino’s underscores something that will keep happening in automotive and beyond — partnerships,” said Akshay Anand, executive analyst with Kelley Blue Book “As the world continues to integrate technology and automation, industries will continue to find creative ways to work together. Given that automotive is one of the most important industries in the world, expect to see companies within the industry continue to look outside for chances to research consumers and vice versa.”
It is said Domino’s and Ford will deliver pizzas to randomly selected customers in the Ann Arbor area in a Ford Fusion Hybrid car equipped with autonomous technology. The delivery vehicles initially will be piloted by human drivers.
Customers will be able to track the delivery via GPS and they’ll get text messages on how to obtain their pizzas once the delivery vehicle has arrived.
No word on whether the self-driving vehicles will need to be tipped.
©2017 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.