Your 2am Ben & Jerry’s might soon be delivered by what looks like the love child of Wall-E and Lightning McQueen. This week, DoorDash unveiled an intentionally adorable delivery robot named Dot, which it’s piloting in the Phoenix area, with plans for a wide rollout in the metro area by the year’s end.
The anthropomorphic food box on wheels is DoorDash’s first foray into ground-based autonomous delivery—a frontier many companies have struggled to conquer due to the challenge of navigating chaotic streets without angering pedestrians.
DoorDash claims Dot is different
Dot’s creators are convinced it’s ready to take on the world despite its innocent look:
The company says Dot’s sensor-laden droid is road-capable, with a top speed of 20 mph, and nimble enough to navigate busy sidewalks, bike lanes, and parking lots.
