DoorDash is bringing its robot delivery service to Miami, following an initial rollout in Los Angeles and Chicago earlier this year with over 600 participating merchants. The company continues to work with Coco Robotics as part of its push towards a "muliti-modal system" that allows it to make human, robot and drone deliveries at scale.
As well as adding a third city to the initiative, DoorDash also now takes orders from DashMart, its delivery-only convenience store chain for groceries and household items. This means customers will receive robot deliveries from national grocers and retailers as well as restaurants.
DoorDash has a dedicated robotics and automation division called DoorDash Labs, which is focused on forging new partnerships that allow it to meet increased demand with more environmentally friendly methods of delivery. Earlier this year it began operating drone deliveries in Charlotte with Wing, and as well as using Coco’s self-driving robots, DoorDash recently introduced its own in-house developed delivery robot called Dot.
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Decidedly cuter than its Coco colleague, Dot is designed for quick neighborhood trips and is able to navigate roads, as well as bike lanes and sidewalks. Dot is currently being piloted in Arizona, and when rolled out more widely is expected to fulfill cheaper deliveries, with DoorDash ensuring its human staff that the robot will complement, rather than replace them.