--- title: "Domino’s Starts Autonomous Robot Pizza Deliveries" description: "R2-D(omino’s)-2 Pizza giant Domino’s is partnering with robotics company Nuro to bring autonomous robot pizza deliveries to Houston, Texas. Customers in the area can now have their pizza delivered by an adorable little robot called R2, built by Nuro. The four-wheeled vehicle was first introduced back in February 2020 and became the first fully autonomous […]" date: "2021-04-13" modified: "2021-04-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/dominos-starts-autonomous-robot-pizza-deliveries" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" tags: - "autonomous delivery" - "domino's pizza" - "nuro" - "pizza" - "the digest" --- # Domino’s Starts Autonomous Robot Pizza Deliveries ![Pizza giant Domino's is partnering with robotics company Nuro to bring autonomous robot pizza deliveries to Houston, Texas.]() *\Image: Nuro\* ## R2-D(omino's)-2 Pizza giant Domino's is partnering with robotics company Nuro to [bring autonomous robot pizza deliveries]() to Houston, Texas. Customers in the area can now have their pizza delivered by an adorable robot called R2, built by Nuro. The four-wheeled vehicle was first introduced back in February 2020 and became the [first fully autonomous on-road delivery vehicle]() to be approved by the Department of Transportation. In April, the robot was given the green light by [California's DMV]() to be used on public roads. "There is still so much for our brand to learn about the autonomous delivery space," Dennis Maloney, Domino's senior vice president and chief innovation officer, said in [a statement](). "This program will allow us to better understand how customers respond to the deliveries, how they interact with the robot and how it affects store operations." ## No Drivers Customers can track the live location of their pizzas via text alert or online. To retrieve their pizza, they have to enter a PIN number into a pad on the side of the robot to open the compartment where it's stored. Domino's is the latest in a string of US companies to increasingly take advantage of autonomous delivery tech. For instance, retail giant Walmart is planning to start [making autonomous deliveries]() this year using specially modified trucks in Arkansas and Louisiana. It's still unclear where that leaves the odd college student trying to make a buck by delivering pizzas. But the news suggests that adorable robot delivery bots are ready to take over public roads any day now — for better or for worse. **READ MORE:** [Domino’s starts making autonomous pizza deliveries]() \[*Engadget*\] **More on autonomous deliveries:** *[Demand for Autonomous Delivery Bots is “Expanding Exponentially”]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()