George Mason University Is Getting Robot Delivery!
By @TobyChilliShow
In an announcement on Monday, George Mason University will allow students to use their meal plans to have select food and drink orders delivered by the robots from Starship Technologies
Starship says it’s providing George Mason with at least 25 robots, and orders from Blaze Pizza, Starbucks, and Dunkin’ will be available at the start. More will be added in the “coming weeks,” and each order will cost $1.99 extra.
The delivery bots can carry up to 20 pounds worth of food. They navigate around people and other objects thanks to cameras embedded around the robot’s exterior.
Students will be able to place their orders through Starship’s mobile app, which is on both iOS and Android. They can drop a pin on the map to tell the robot where to go (the deliveries will be made “anywhere” on campus, according to Starship’s press release), and they can monitor its progress throughout the trip. For students who are worried that someone will make off with their late-night snack, the robots have a locking lid that can only be opened by the person who placed the order. The trips are also monitored in real time by Starship employees, who use the robot’s cameras to keep an eye out for any foul play.