If you’ve ever needed more evidence that the future is indeed now, look no further than Marble. The robotic creation developed by the titular Marble tech company in California is planning to revolutionize the way we get food to our doorsteps. Yelp has already partnered with the project, and preliminary tests are on their way in the United States with multiple bots roaming the streets. So what is Marble and why is it so special? Well, the four-wheeled drone is an automated delivery system that carries food across town and eventually drops off meals at a customer’s desired location. Aside from cutting costs tied to human delivery services, Marble grants restaurants the ability to send food out the door all around the clock. Marble’s CEO and founder, Matthew Delaney, says the team is starting out small but they also have loftier goals. “We’re initially starting with the meal delivery, we’re also looking at other markets like grocery and pharmacy,” Delaney stated in an interview with CNET.
It may seem relatively complicated, but the beauty of the project is in fact its simplicity. Marble will remain within a certain district in hibernation where it can be activated by a user app. Once it gathers an order, the bot will venture to the restaurant and text a code to customers who will then input the combo to open their loot. Even more impressive, is Marble’s software which can detect and map out potholes and cracks in the pavement. With such an enhanced brain, the robot is able to complete its 6-8 hour shift with ease. Before you get too excited about this all, it’s worth noting that Marble is only active in San Francisco. If company headquarters has their way, every major city will have an armada of Marbles at their disposals. To watch the ultra cool courier at work, check out the videos below.
