DoorDash has unveiled Dot, its first in-house built autonomous delivery robot designed to transport food and small packages at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Painted in bright red with LED eyes and a mouth-like compartment that opens to reveal its storage space, Dot has been built to appear friendly while delivering efficiency.
Currently being tested with early access partners in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Dot is expected to be available to 1.6 million residents across the region by the end of 2025.
Dot is less than five feet tall, three feet wide, and weighs around 350 pounds. Despite its compact size, it can carry up to 30 pounds of food or six pizza boxes. Merchants can also customise the cargo space with inserts such as cupholders and coolers. Equipped with eight cameras, four radar sensors, and three lidar sensors, Dot uses a real-time AI model to detect obstacles and determine the best route. It runs on an interchangeable battery that can be charged separately.
DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang said, “You don’t always need a full-sized car to deliver a tube of toothpaste or pack of diapers. 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 optimise the best routes for delivery.”
The company has spent seven years developing Dot, beginning with the acquisition of AV startup Scotty Labs in 2019 and later hiring autonomy experts from other mobility companies.
While Dot cannot be remotely operated, if it encounters trouble on the road, it is designed to pull over and wait until a field operator arrives. Safety features include deference to cyclists and pedestrians, as well as cameras inside the cargo bay to prevent tampering.
DoorDash has also built an ecosystem in Phoenix to support Dot, including warehouses, charging stations, and field operators. However, questions remain around safety, vandalism, and the impact on human delivery workers. DoorDash says automation will complement human couriers, allowing them to focus on higher-value orders that require human judgment.
Dot’s success could reshape DoorDash’s place in the delivery market and set the tone for the future of autonomous delivery.
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