Autonomous Robot To Begin Making Deliveries In Riverside

RIVERSIDE, CA — The city of Riverside appears to be the next test site for DoorDash Dot, touted as the first commercial autonomous delivery robot.

At one-tenth the size of a car, the all-electric Dot robot reaches speeds of up to 20 mph and is designed for quick deliveries in local neighborhoods.

"Riverside is leading the way in building a connected, innovative and sustainable city," Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a statement. "Our partnership with DoorDash Labs reflects our vision to attract cutting-edge technology that strengthens our local economy, supports small businesses and improves quality of life for our residents."

DoorDash Labs is DoorDash's robotics and automation arm.

Riverside's partnership with DoorDash Labs stems from talks between the company and the city's Economic Development Team. The is no revenue attached to the partnership.

Dot was unveiled last month with an early access program in Tempe and Mesa, Arizona. At the time, the company said, "Today, we’re unveiling Dot, the first commercial autonomous robot built to travel seamlessly on bike lanes, roads, sidewalks, and driveways, and specifically designed for local delivery."

The company described the rollout as "marking the beginning of our commercial deployment and paving the way for future expansion into multiple new markets."

"You don’t always need a full-sized car to deliver a tube of toothpaste or pack of diapers. That’s the insight behind Dot," said Stanley Tang, co-founder and head of DoorDash Labs. "The breakthrough wasn't just making it autonomous, but in making it reliable and efficient to serve the needs of local businesses and consumers."

In Riverside, the Dot launch will entail municipal agencies collaborating with DoorDash Labs to identify safe ways to deploy "autonomous delivery robots on Riverside's streets," according to a city statement.

Proof-of-concept Dot demonstrations were conducted last week in Riverside, during which the cart-sized robot vehicles made pretend deliveries within a confined space, officials said.

"We're proud to be working with the city to advance the future of autonomous deliveries," DoorDash Labs Legislative Policy Adviser Henry Greenidge said. "Together, we can help shape a smarter and more sustainable future, where innovative technology like Dot can bring next-generation robotics out of the lab and into the community."

The city views the public-private enterprise as an opportunity to "strengthen small-business growth."

"It will also improve access to local restaurants and services, bringing tangible benefits to Riverside residents and small business owners alike," the city stated.

DoorDash claims its human drivers should not worry about competition from robots.

The company's "Dashers" will "continue to complete the vast majority of our millions of daily deliveries. At the same time, autonomous technology will increasingly allow Dashers to focus more on the high-value orders that require human judgment and care," according to DoorDash. "With Dot filling in the gaps on local trips, it helps the whole network run more efficiently to support the growing demand for local commerce. While autonomous delivery is an important part of our future, Dashers are and will remain essential to our platform — particularly as the demand for local delivery increases."

When DoorDash announced Dot, the company said it was also rolling out an Autonomous Delivery Platform — a system that helps orchestrate different types of delivery methods together at scale.

The Autonomous Delivery Platform serves as an AI dispatcher, matching each order with the optimal delivery method based on factors like speed, cost, location, and experience, according to the company.

"Whether that’s a Dasher, a Dot on the road, a drone in the air, or a sidewalk robot, the platform orchestrates these decisions in real-time to optimize across our entire global network," according to the company.