Delivery robots are coming to Austin. Food delivery service company Refraction AI’s REV-1 robots — small electric-run machines that operate autonomously — are delivering orders from local pizzeria mini-chain Southside Flying Pizza throughout downtown Austin, Travis Heights, and along South Congress Avenue as of today, June 14.
CEO Luke Schneider tells Eater that the company decided to expand to the Texas city because “the vast array of food and retail options that are woven into Austin’s unique neighborhoods — especially South Congress — align with our vision for last-minute delivery and make automated delivery an easy, convenient, affordable option.”
The way the REV-1 robot deliveries will work is as follows:
- People who live in the downtown, Travis Heights, and South Congress areas place delivery orders through Southside Flying Pizza’s website.
- The restaurant places the prepared food order into the robot, and it travels from the curb of the restaurant to the curb of the delivery address.
- As that happens, the customer receives text message updates on the location of the delivery, as well as a code to access their order.
- When the robot arrives at the curb of the destination, the person has to go outside, enter their code onto the touchscreen pad, and open the robot to receive their order.
Read more here.