DoorDash has unveiled its first commercial autonomous delivery robot, Dot, which the company says is designed to accelerate local commerce by navigating bike lanes, roads, sidewalks, and driveways.
Developed entirely in-house by DoorDash Labs, Dot integrates with the company’s existing marketplace infrastructure and its new Autonomous Delivery Platform. The robot is one-tenth the size of a car, all-electric, and can reach speeds of up to 20 mph.
DoorDash says Dot is engineered for short neighborhood trips, helping reduce congestion and emissions while providing a safer, contact-free delivery option.
An early access program is launching in Tempe and Mesa, Arizona, marking the beginning of Dot’s commercial deployment.
Stanley Tang, co-founder and head of DoorDash Labs, says: “You don’t always need a full-sized car to deliver a tube of toothpaste or pack of diapers. That’s the insight behind Dot.
“The breakthrough wasn’t just making it autonomous, but in making it reliable and efficient to serve the needs of local businesses and consumers.
“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 optimize the best routes for delivery.
“Every design decision, from its compact size to its speed to the sensor suite, came from analyzing billions of deliveries on our global platform and understanding what actually moves the needle for merchants and consumers.”
The company is also rolling out its Autonomous Delivery Platform, which it describes as an AI-powered dispatcher that determines the most effective delivery method for each order.
The system integrates Dashers, robots, drones, and other autonomous vehicles into DoorDash’s logistics network, matching orders to the optimal mode of delivery based on speed, cost, and location.
Ashu Rege, VP and head of autonomy at DoorDash Labs, says: “With more than 10 billion deliveries under our belt, we’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, and what scales.
“Making autonomous technology work for delivery requires reimagining it from the ground up. We’ve built Dot and our Autonomous Delivery Platform using advanced AI and robotics specifically designed for the complexities of local commerce.”
DoorDash said the introduction of Dot and its broader autonomy platform is intended to benefit merchants, customers, and Dashers alike.
The company emphasized that Dashers will continue to handle the majority of deliveries, while robots like Dot will be used to fill in for shorter local trips.
Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman says: “Mesa has long been a proving ground for breakthrough ideas, and Dot is the latest example of American innovation in action.
“Seeing these autonomous delivery robots on streets throughout Mesa demonstrates how these advanced technologies can meet daily needs while strengthening the local businesses at the heart of our community.
“Our partnership with DoorDash underscores that Mesa, Arizona, isn’t just participating in the future of local delivery, we’re helping shape it.”
DoorDash plans to expand the Dot program beyond Arizona in future markets as it continues to build what it describes as a multi-modal delivery network.
