This electric, self-driving delivery robot can bring pizza to your door
If you're looking to get a pizza delivered in downtown Vancouver, your delivery person might not be a person at all.
That's because pizza delivery robots are being tested in the city as part of a pilot project with Pizza Hut and Serve Robotics.
"It works just like any other order you've placed," said Ali Kashani, the CEO of Serve Robotics.
"If you're between the proximity of the restaurant, in this case, the one on Robson Street, and a robot is available, it may be the one assigned to you," he explained.
The two bots, named Raja and Hugo, are the first of their kind in the city, but the project launched a few years ago in the U.S.
According to Kashani, his bots have made more than 25,000 deliveries – and he hopes the project will be a success in Canada as well.
Kashani, who received his PhD at UBC, said the bots are better for the environment as they release less CO2 emissions than vehicles.
"It's a lot safer than cars for pedestrians, and for bikers and everybody else,'' he said. "Also, you don't have to tip."
He also said the bots are not meant to replace human delivery people, but rather bridge the labour shortage gap.
"These robots would do the more tedious deliveries where you make less money," Kashani said.
For now, the bots only travel about 500 metres in Vancouver, but they have the capability of traveling several kilometres.
Kashani said he isn't worried about someone stealing his bots, even with the city's history of theft, especially since no one has stolen one in the U.S.
"It's different than bikes and scooters because you can't really do much with it, so there's no market for it. People can't use it personally," he said.
You could be seeing more of them in the near future as the company is looking to expand beyond the pilot project.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, Ontario police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Taylor Swift's new album allegedly 'leaked' on social media and it's causing a frenzy
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.