Oregon Business 03-20-18

In March of 2018 Oregon Business took a look at delivery robots from a financial and logistical perspective, focusing on Dax. They meet with Dax founder, Joseph Sullivan, at La Rockita, a local family-owned restaurant that hosted Dax’s first test deliveries.

Last mile delivery has become a logistical problem as expectation grows for shorter delivery times, and delivery is expected from more and more locations. In response to that millions of investment dollars have been poured into options like delivery robots, and ideas like Uber Eats and Door Dash have become more and more popular. Driver for places like Uber Eats and Door Dash, however, make most of their money on longer range deliveries.

 This article also touches on how public perception of delivery robots affects their viability as a market solution, and how Dax’s “canimorphic” or dog-like design works to make him relatable for everyone, including those who are less excited by or familiar with technology. Legislation allowing delivery robots on sidewalks is an important part of robotic delivery, meaning that Dax can’t be a pest to share a sidewalk with.

Read the story below (covered by Caleb Diehl for Oregon Business) for more