Food delivery robots arrive at Washburn University
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Students at Washburn University have a new way to get their food in between classes this semester with the arrival of brand-new delivery robots catering to their needs.
Autonomous delivery robots can now be seen rolling across the university's campus, courtesy of the company Starship Technologies. Students using the Starship app can now order food for delivery at Washburn from the dining halls on campus.
Students using the app can connect to their dining plans for convenient delivery and payouts. Senior Director of Chartwell Dining at Washburn University, Shon Spader, said the robots give students a lot of benefits.
"To help students that are on time crunches or don't have classes near dining facilities," Spader said. "They could be able to order from campus, still able to partake in all the fun things that we do on campus."
Spader said the robots can interact with nearby people, such as if they become stuck. The robots can ask passerby for help or, if they are being tampered with, can emit a loud alarm to act as a deterrent. Each of the robots are also tracked via GPS to ensure they get where they need to be with their deliveries.
Five of the delivery robots were introduced to the university in October. They travel at four mph from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. throughout the week. You can learn more about the Starship Food Delivery App by clicking here.
For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf