Pipedream Labs
DELIVERING THE FUTURE OF LOGISTICS
What if a business could deliver their goods anywhere in a city in just 15 minutes? This is the vision of Austin-based startup Pipedream Labs, a logistics company building a system of autonomous, underground delivery robots. Their technology sends goods in fast-moving robotic vehicles through networks of pipes.
Before building out last-mile systems on a citywide scale, Pipedream is proving their technology in “last-inch” situations, the first two being curbside grocery pickup and drive-through food pickup. Fahrenheit helped with the design and development of user-facing elements. This includes the pickup portal and canopy for curbside grocery, as well as drive-though foodservice portals used by employees and customers.
Services
Industrial Design
User Experience Design
Environmental Design
Straight from the underground
Pipedream’s latest robot, Otter, can achieve a top speed of 100 mph. It is designed to carry a type of tote already common in distribution, making the system adaptable to workflows of logistics-geared businesses.
The payload is shielded while in motion, ensuring deliveries arrive safe and clean.
Quick-service Restaurants
Our first task for Pipedream was to help adapt their technology for Quick-service restaurants, or QSRs. These are typically restaurants with drive-throughs, including fast food (like McDonalds) and fast-casual (like Chipotle). Many QSRs want to encourage the use of their mobile apps, as they are likely to get repeat business from app users.
Over time, QSRs have found the pickup process to be a barrier to app adoption. Why bother ordering ahead if you’ll be stuck in the drive-though behind other patrons? Alternatively, you could pick up inside, but was downloading and setting up the app less effort than simply ordering at the counter?
Pipedream realized their technology could remove this friction, creating a seamless pickup experience tailored mobile ordering. We worked on the customer-facing pickup portal, as well as the portal used by employees to send out an order.
The design of the output portal focused on drawing people’s attention, serving a wide variety of vehicles sizes, and the ability to accommodate a restaurant’s branding.
Goods Grocery
Pipedream Labs is adapting their technology into a first-of-its-kind store, Goods Grocery.
Goods is a drive-through, on-demand grocer. Customers submit their order on the app, which is then delivered via underground robot upon their arrival.
Our idea generation centered around ease of construction, as well as accommodating large-scale branding. A visually unique structure also helps generate interest, prompting passerbys to research the brand. Functionally, for safety, the canopy needed to offer good lighting at night.
Credit: Pipedream Labs/Goods
We also considered potential future designs for Goods pickup centers, prioritizing visual impact.
Retail Pickup
The pandemic in 2020 saw the first mass adoption of curbside pickup, and the demand for it has remained elevated ever since. Existing grocery and retail stores, which weren’t designed to accommodate such volumes of online ordering and pickup, have struggled to profit directly from this service. Pipedream recognized the potential in their technology to automate and cost-reduce key steps in the process.
The proposed solution involves large-scale pickup kiosks that can be installed in parking lots. The bays are designed to accommodate large orders, delivering upwards of 20 bags of goods at a time.
