Students at the University of Minnesota are now experiencing cutting-edge food delivery technology through a new fleet of robots.
Starting last week, the university’s Twin Cities campus introduced a delivery service where anyone can order from select restaurants, with the food being delivered by autonomous robots almost anywhere on the East Bank.
These robots, provided by Starship Technologies, are the first to be approved for use in Minneapolis and mark the university’s first campus-based delivery service.
Users, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors, can order food from Starbucks, Panda Express, or Erbert & Gerbert’s via the Starship food app, and the robots will deliver directly to them.
Starship has been delivering food on college campuses since 2019.
The robots use AI, sensors, and machine learning to navigate sidewalks and roads, and can handle obstacles. While the Minnesota winter presents a new challenge, Starship claims the robots can operate in rain and snow. The six-wheeled, battery-powered robots move at a maximum speed of 4 mph and are equipped with 12 cameras and several sensors to avoid obstacles.
Customers can track their orders in real-time and are the only ones who can unlock the robot to retrieve their food.
