Food delivery robots will soon deliver food to faculty, staff and students to Cal Poly buildings from various dining venues.
Campus Dining is partnering with Grubhub and Starship Technologies to introduce delivery robots at Cal Poly, joining over 50 college campuses using this service according to a press release. Cal Poly is one of the five universities beginning use of food-delivery robots this school year.
To access the robots, users can download the Grubhub App and check out by selecting delivery. The delivery fee is $3.49 and cannot be paid with dining dollars from a first-year dining plan, but can be paid with community dining plans. A map tracks the robot’s journey to a delivery location. When the robot arrives, the customer will receive an alert, and the robot can be unlocked through the Grubhub app.
The robots travel at around four mph and can go over curbs with their six wheel design. They are equipped with 12 motion-sensing cameras, and can identify if they are being tampered with. A loud siren will sound if the robot senses being damaged or moved around, according to Starship Technologies.
The robots are currently mapping campus and learning to navigate between students and buildings. Aaron Lambert, Communications Specialist for Cal Poly Partners, said the dining venues that will offer this delivery service are still being determined.
“Campus Dining is rolling out applicable venues in a phased approach,” Lambert said. “They want to make sure the robots can meet demand and provide a great experience from the start. Our campus is pretty sprawling, and the robots will stay in the campus core.”
Giana Grisso, an environmental management & protection sophomore residing in Poly Canyon Village,does not see herself utilizing the delivery robots often, save for emergencies.
“I’ve been trying to save my dining dollars and stuff like that, so I’ll probably just eat my own food,” Grisso said. “But if I’m really dying for something on campus, then maybe. [The robots] remind me of my Roomba vacuum.”
Political science professor Shelley Hurt said she appreciates technological innovations that assist individuals with disabilities or those who do not have the resources to leave their work.
“There are all kinds of situations: people that work two jobs, or maybe they work late at night and can’t go shopping for their kids,” Hurt said. “I just love the idea of these types of deliveries.”
Correction: this article has been updated at 12:43 p.m. to add new information about the Grubhub payment.
