Domino’s tests pizza drone delivery system in New Zealand

Pizza Delivery Drone — A pizza delivery drone sits with a pizza box underneath before a test flight in Auckland, New Zealand, August 25, 2016. Reuters/Domino's/Handout

With a record full-year profit of $92 million, Domino's Pizza announced its plan in mid-August to increase its stores in Australia and New Zealand to 1,200 over the next 10 years. More outlets could result in more orders which is why the fast food restaurant is experimenting why the use of drone delivery in New Zealand.

In partnership with Flirtey, a US drone service, Domino’s tried on Thursday drone deliveries to cut delivery times, says Don Meij, Domino’s managing director. However, the system is subject to approval by aviation authorities in New Zealand, reports News.com.au.

“With the increased number of deliveries we make each year, we were faced with the challenge of ensuring our delivery times continue to decrease,” explains Meij. “This is the future,” he adds.

In March, the company rolled out DRU, its robot delivery prototype. Meij says the drone pilot testing is the next stage to Domino’s expansion into the artificial intelligence space.

He says the trial deliveries would help provide insight which Domino’s needs to extend the weight carried by the drone and distance traveled. Meij hopes the insight would lead the fast food chain to consider a drone delivery option for majority of its orders.

Domino’s held the drone trial in Auckland, the first stage of its DRU Drone or Domino’s Robotic Unit Drone, reports Lifehacker. Meij says the company researched into different delivery methods and was led to Flirtey whose success within the airborne delivery space impressed Domino’s and made the company want to offer the services to its New Zealand customers.

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