In a narrow glimpse of the increasingly automated future awaiting humanity, 10 silver robots shaped like ice-cream carts are delivering Southside Flying Pizza to hungry Austinites in Travis Heights and the Central Business District. The company behind the three-wheeled machines is hoping to grow its fleet exponentially and be part of a technological revolution in how people receive their deliveries. "Robots are your friends," said Luke Schneider, CEO of Michigan-based Refraction AI. "Robots are going to make your life more convenient. They're going to make your city more sustainable, and they're going to make your life better." The battery-powered devices, called REV-1s, go up to 15 mph and can recognize traffic lights and signs.

Mobile ovens inside the delivery truck cook the pie right before it reaches its destination. Mobile ovens inside the delivery truck cook the pie right before it reaches its destination. Only instead of a dozen blue-collar workers pouring marinara sauce, Zume Pizza has -- you guessed it! Their job is to solve a familiar problem: It's game night. It arrives later than you'd hoped, aaaand it's cold.