# Video shows Domino’s self-driving delivery car in action - with a driver for emergency braking



## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

You probably haven't seen them yet, but Domino's Pizza is testing out self-driving delivery cars.

The company began collaborating with the Ford Motor Company last year to slowly roll the cars outacross the country on a limited trial basis, starting in Ann Arbor, MI - where Domino's is based - before introducing them to Miami.

Las Vegas customers started trying them out in early May.

And it looks like there's some interest in expanding the delivery method, judging from one recent social media post.

Las Vegas resident Derek Hoskins shared a video to his Facebook page Saturday showing a delivery, writing in the post: "The future is here! Next step, drone delivery!"




__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2188163997900631



The video has since gotten tens of thousands of views.

It shows a self-driving car slowly pull up to Hoskins' curb, where he and his friend Johnny walk up to meet it.

A rear window slides down once Johnny punches a code into a mounted touchscreen. A trumpet call sounds, followed by a cheerful automated voice that chirps, "You got it!" Then it's time for Johnny to pull out the pizzas.

"Yay! Pretty cool," Hoskins says. "Awesome job, Domino's!"

The car, presumably having other business, couldn't waste time on pleasantries.

"Please stand clear. We're closing up and taking off," it warns as it rolls up its window and slowly drives away.

"*But I seen a driver*?" one Facebook user asked Hoskins, who answered that, yes, an actual human employee was along for the ride.

"Correct, *he is there for emergency braking*," he wrote.

Last August, CNN reported that *employees would ride along* - and, *during part of the trip, drive *- in the trial rollout. However, *Domino's took steps to hide them* through heavily tinted windows.

The company also instructed them not to interact with customers, which explains why the employee doesn't chat with Johnny in Hoskins' video.

The reasoning is that Domino's wants to see how customers react to the automated car itself, rather than a human employee, to get a better idea of how they'll accept the new technology.

Domino's also wants to see if customers like Hoskins will accept walking outside for their pizzas, rather than the old-fashioned method of having a driver actually walk the pizzas to their doors.

Hoskins, despite being obviously wowed, wrote: "I think the only thing they are saving at the moment is the time it takes the driver to get in and out of the car."

http://www.cleveland19.com/2018/09/25/video-shows-dominos-self-driving-delivery-car-action/


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

I don't understand the business plan behind this. Where is the money savings? If I were a Dominos Franchise owner and had a shop, why would I pay 50-60K for a car and ??? to insure it. I could pay some pimple faced millennial a couple bucks an hour to let HIM use HIS car. Why would I buy the self driving car????


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

Seamus said:


> I don't understand the business plan behind this. Where is the money savings? If I were a Dominoes Franchise owner and had a shop, why would I pay 50-60K for a car and ??? to insure it. I could pay some pimple faced millennial a couple bucks an hour to let HIM use HIS car. Why would I buy the self driving car????


I think is mostly Ford/Argo AI behind this testing. They needed a platform to test people reactions to the self driving idea, and (if they'll get some revenue out of it) Domino's agreed to do some deliveries using this charade.

Ford doesn't want to put their name out there as long as all the driving (obviously) is done by a driver but the car is painted with the words "self driving car" on it. The most intriguing and confusing for the customer is the delivery, done without any human interaction, while a driver is clearly sitting in the drivers seat.

Why would Domino's want to test humans reaction to "the automated car itself, rather than a human employee, to get a better idea of how they'll accept the new technology". It is NOT Domino's technology, but Ford/Argo technology.

"Domino's also wants to see if customers like Hoskins will accept walking outside for their pizzas" - for the curiosity of hoping to see a self driving car for the first time in their lives, maybe. Domino's should worry more for the disappointment of being lied, asked to get out of their houses to pretend the ridiculous pizza is delivered by a robot, when actually is not.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Dominos NEEDS GADGETS
BECAUSE THEIR PIZZA IS BAD !


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

tohunt4me said:


> Dominos NEEDS GADGETS
> BECAUSE THEIR PIZZA IS BAD !


They cover for their friends, the dudes that spent billions building a self driving car that's driven by a human driver - the genuine innovators.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Bad as UBER KITTENS & ICE CREAM.

CHEAP PUBLICITY STUNT.

( kittens appear more on internet than Any other animal. Kittens were market researched before being USED)


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

I saw a car with a human driving it roll up and the cameraman was doing everything in their power not to show the driver driving it.



Seamus said:


> I don't understand the business plan behind this. Where is the money savings? If I were a Dominos Franchise owner and had a shop, why would I pay 50-60K for a car and ??? to insure it. I could pay some pimple faced millennial a couple bucks an hour to let HIM use HIS car. Why would I buy the self driving car????


This is all a show. I mean, the video is a complete production. How a sdc can somehow be cheaper than milking the personal car of a delivery driver is beyond me.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

uberdriverfornow said:


> I saw a car with a human driving it roll up and the cameraman was doing everything in their power not to show the driver driving it.
> 
> This is all a show. I mean, the video is a complete production. How a sdc can somehow be cheaper than milking the personal car of a delivery driver is beyond me.


It's not about making it cheaper, it's about the IPO


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> It's not about making it cheaper, it's about the IPO


Yup

Ford's Self-Driving Car Guru Sees Second Customer, IPO Possible - https://www.industryweek.com/compan...ng-car-guru-sees-second-customer-ipo-possible

"He might even start sharing Argo's self-driving technology with another automaker, something that's possible because Argo remains independent. And it could happen soon. "We are in discussions," Salesky says. "We're definitely interested in making something happen."

So Ford bought Argo but Argo now is targeting an IPO to regain independence in order to work with another car maker.

If self driving cars will work, why would Ford allow Argo to share technology with a competitor? You only do that in case your failed SDC technology doesn't work and you want to sell it to some other idiot as "the future of transportation".


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