Now here is a delivery service to rival all delivery services as we know them. Starship technologies has introduced a team of six-wheeled robots that are now delivering food to students at Northern Arizona University. The robots are a textbook example of the IoT at work. They are loaded with electronics, including nine cameras and ultrasonic sensors that provide them a 360-degree view of their surroundings. They can move up to 10 miles per hour and can cross streets, climb curbs and travel in the dark. They can even operate in inclement weather with no human intervention. The following article tells an interesting story, and one that portends for a great IoT application that has a real future.
Starship Technologies two months ago rolled out delivery robots to George Mason University’s Fairfax campus, and it turns out that was just the start of a quest to conquer higher ed. The San Francisco-based robotics startup today announced that it has expanded service to Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, marking the first commercial deployment of sidewalk delivery robots in Arizona.
Courtesy of an ongoing collaboration between Starship and food and facilities management provider Sodexo, this week more than 30 robots will start ferrying food and drink from Cobrizo Mexican Grill, Turnip the Greens, G’s NY Style Deli, the Wedge Market and Pizza, Star Ginger, and other retailers to the NAU’s nearly 25,000 students, faculty, and staff. Deliveries will cost a flat $1.99 and work in conjunction with student meal plans.
