Starting this week, customers who place an online prepaid order on certain days and times from Domino’s Pizza in Woodland Heights, Texas (a suburb of Houston) can choose to have their pizza delivered by a Nuro autonomous vehicle (AV). Nuro’s R2 AV is the first completely autonomous, occupantless on-road delivery vehicle with a regulatory approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The R2 uses radar, 360-degree cameras, and thermal imaging to direct its movement. 

Nuro focuses solely on autonomous deliveries and logistics. Its electric R2 vehicle, designed to haul packages, groceries, and food orders, is about half the size of a conventional car and travels at a relatively low speed.

The partnership between Domino’s and Nuro will introduce an entirely new delivery experience to consumers. Customers who select autonomous delivery will get texts to let them know where the R2 is and can also track the vehicle via GPS on their order confirmation page. Once the AV arrives at their home, the customer enters a pre-provided PIN on the R2’s touchscreen, slowly opening the R2’s doors upward, and the customer will be able to access their order.

The Employment Implications

While much of the focus on AVs has surrounded the development of the technology and the regulations that will govern the industry, there are also key issues related to how employees and customers will interact with AVs.

For example, companies implementing AV technology will need to understand and manage employees who are loading and placing products into a driverless vehicle. Companies will also need to understand consumer behavior towards AVs and how effectively customers are able walk out to an AV to pick up their order and how easily they will be able to locate their order. Additionally, AVs will need to be designed to manage several orders for multiple customers and AV companies will need to learn best practices for maximizing the utilization of their technology.

By gaining an understanding of consumer preferences and reactions to AVs, employers can begin strategizing about how to best take advantage of them in the future. Employers should monitor the progress of commercial AV services in order to ensure that their policies and procedures related to data privacy, confidential information, and workplace safety are adequately up to date.