The future is here. It’s delicious, and it’s dangerously convenient.
It’s fair to say that the pandemic has made life pretty tough for the vast majority of us. One of the main difficulties, undoubtedly, is the need for social distancing and reduced human contact.
Clearly, for KFC, necessity is the mother of invention – and so, their driverless delivery car was born. Citizens of Shanghai are the first to benefit from the automated service.
The wing-bearing wagons operate using 5G, allowing customers to choose their food via a touchscreen, which they can then pay for using their phone. After the transaction, the car’s door opens to reveal their meal, ready to be scoffed on the spot. In theory, it sounds like a great idea. But you have to question how long the chicken’s been sitting there for.
International Issues
We’re also not sure how well this would work overseas. For example, KFC’s Twitter account for the UK & Ireland doesn’t think that customers would be very respectful of the car.
The company that manufactures these vehicles, Neolix, have previously found several other uses for these inventions – for instance, they’ve previously used the same cars to set up medical dispensaries in Thailand.
They are a pretty impressive feat of engineering, too. When its battery is fully charged, the level 4 autonomous vehicle boasts speeds of up to 50km/h, and it will run for trips of up to 100km. It takes a mere 30 seconds to change the battery inside the car, and the lack of staff means they can be made in a compact size for added convenience.
It’s fair to say that KFC isn’t exactly essential during the COVID crisis, but it’s encouraging to see that this technology is being used as effectively as possible where it really matters. It bodes well for an uncertain future, and in the meantime, driverless food delivery is definitely something to look forward to.
In more good news, KFC is giving away free gravy over the festive period.
