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PiePal orders a pizza delivery at the press of a button

By Jonathan Fincher
November 11, 2013
PiePal orders a pizza delivery at the press of a button
iStrategyLabs has created the PiePal, a large button that connects to a Raspberry Pi and automatically places a pizza order when pressed
iStrategyLabs has created the PiePal, a large button that connects to a Raspberry Pi and automatically places a pizza order when pressed
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The whole device is run by a Raspberry Pi using a custom JavaScript program specifically tailored to Domino's online service
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The whole device is run by a Raspberry Pi using a custom JavaScript program specifically tailored to Domino's online service
An LED on the button will light up to indicate when the order has gone through
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An LED on the button will light up to indicate when the order has gone through
The designers also created a straightforward web interface for users to adjust the PiePal's wireless settings, change their preferred pizza size and toppings, or even link it to their online Domino's account
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The designers also created a straightforward web interface for users to adjust the PiePal's wireless settings, change their preferred pizza size and toppings, or even link it to their online Domino's account
The PiePal automatically contacts the online ordering system at Domino's Pizza via Wi-Fi and sets up a pre-selected type of pizza to be delivered from the nearest store
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The PiePal automatically contacts the online ordering system at Domino's Pizza via Wi-Fi and sets up a pre-selected type of pizza to be delivered from the nearest store
To place an order with the PiePal, users just turn the dial to select the number of pizzas they want and press the big button in the center
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To place an order with the PiePal, users just turn the dial to select the number of pizzas they want and press the big button in the center
iStrategyLabs has created the PiePal, a large button that connects to a Raspberry Pi and automatically places a pizza order when pressed
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iStrategyLabs has created the PiePal, a large button that connects to a Raspberry Pi and automatically places a pizza order when pressed
View gallery - 6 images

Have you ever craved pizza so strongly that you wished you could press a button and have one show up automatically? Clearly the creative minds at iStrategyLabs have run into this problem more than once, since that's exactly what they made recently. Rather than wading through options on a pizza shop's website, the PiePal allows users to push a single button to immediately order one or more pizzas to be delivered ASAP.

To place an order with the PiePal, users just turn the dial to select the number of pizzas they want and press the big button in the center. The device will then automatically contact the online ordering system at Domino's Pizza via Wi-Fi and set up a pre-selected type of pizza to be delivered from the nearest store. This all happens in the blink of an eye, and an LED on the button will light up to indicate when the order has gone through.

It may sound simple, but it did require some finesse from the designers at iStrategyLabs to streamline the entire ordering process. Unlike the pizza-ordering refrigerator magnet we saw last year, the PiePal sends the order itself instead of just syncing with a smartphone app.

A Raspberry Pi runs the device, using a custom JavaScript program specifically tailored to Domino's online service, while an Arduino board triggers the LEDs. The designers also created a straightforward web interface for users to adjust the PiePal's wireless settings, change their preferred pizza size and toppings, or even link it to their online Domino's account. After all this, the final step was to design a body for the PiePal and print it out of PLA using a MakerBot Replicator 2.

Right now, the designers are hoping to turn the PiePal into a consumer-ready product, but they need to test it a bit more first. iStrategyLabs is currently asking anyone interested in trying out the button for themselves to sign up as a "beta-taster" on its official site. There's no word yet on plans to adapt it for other restaurants.

In the meantime, check out the video below to see how the PiePal works.

Sources: PiePal, iStrategyLabs
PiePal beta: Ordering Pizza With The Push of a Button

View gallery - 6 images

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Around The HomeFoodDeliveryPizzaRaspberry Pi
5 comments
Jonathan Fincher
Jonathan grew up in Norway, China, and Trinidad before graduating film school and becoming an online writer covering green technology, history and design, as well as contributing to video game news sites like Filefront and 1Up. He currently resides in Texas, where his passions include video games, comics, and boring people who don't want to talk about either of those things.

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5 comments
John Hogan
Thank god for cooking skills-deprived nerds! This silly project seriously tickles my fancy.
aclifford
Awesome! I was wondering when this will be invented. Thanks for sharing!
Rudy McGillvray
There is a whole host of details lost in the article, one being costs of making and delivery what is the price structure, the temp of the pizza; it looks like a really great idea, but perhaps a bank connection on a debit scale would be necessary for payment, either the pizza guy has a card reader or the dude ordering can touch his cell ph, to the button, and pay that way.
Nelson Hyde Chick
So you can get the same pizza from the same pizza joint. Sometimes I like a deepdish from one place and a thin crust from someplace else. Also, at times I like different toppings.
ljaques
I foresee tons and tons of flab (Crom knows we don't have enough fat on our bodies now) coming from this, removing all the obstacles to ordering a steengking peeza. "Would you like 47,698 calories with that order?" Fast food junkies everywhere are drooling for it. I know, it's supposed to be a fun gizmo, but look at the end result and decide if ethics say it should be made available to the already criminally negligent.