[aylons]

Ahn? I think a self-driving car would still need someone to carry the product from the car to the door, or am I missing something?

[nostromo]

I envision getting a text. "Your pizza is here. Use code 4025 to open locker #24."

"You have 20 seconds to comply." ;-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzlt7IbTp6M

[saosebastiao]

Forcing people to be home is bad enough, but now you are forcing them to drop everything they are doing. Not exactly an amazing customer experience.

[nodata]

They wouldn't need to be home. The self-driving car would drive to the customer.

[svachalek]

True, but given a choice between an amazing customer experience and saving money, most people choose the latter. See: ATM, phone tree, commercial air travel.

[yoster]

I can just imagine the grandmother in a walking chair trying to get the package in a timely manner.

[venomsnake]

A person can get on the lawn and take it from the vehicle. You just need to separate the inside of the vehicle on easily configurable compartments.

[yardie]

The delivery guy that does regular drops at our office does everything from crates of server parts to flatpack envelopes. I can't imagine any sort of separation that can account for the variety of deliveries that need to be made and be small enough to fit onto city side streets.

[yid]

Rumors are that Google is testing a grocery-delivery bipedal robot that can climb stairs, use the elevator, etc.

[staccatomeasure]

I envy the teenagers of the future. They are going to have such wonderful targets of vandalism and destruction. However, it will make sad when Google adds defense mechanisms to the robots and skynet goes live.

[jeremyjh]

Yes and if it gets stumped it could alert a remote operator who could take over and figure out what to do. They don't have to handle every corner case if they have an escape hatch like that.

[yoster]

This will open up all types of theft. Camera on the robot? No problem, that mask and spray paint will clear that problem right up. Not to mention all the kids who will definitely be pushing this over for fun....

[goostavos]

Launching mechanism of some kind. UPS style ;)