Communications of the ACM
How GM Students' Eating Habits Changed When Delivery Robots Invaded Their Campus
A student retrieves food from a semi-autonomous Starship Technologies robot on George Mason University's campus.
Credit: Starship Technologies
Students eating habits have changed since the deployment of 25 semi-autonomous delivery robots from Starship Technologies on the George Mason University (GMU) campus in January. According to Starship Technologies and Sodexo, which manages food services for GMU, an additional 1,500 breakfast orders have been delivered autonomously, whereas skipping breakfast was common among students before.
The robots deliver food all over campus, often picking up orders at campus restaurants for transport to nearby dormitories, as well as to other buildings across campus. "Our robots allow the breakfast to come to you, at a time you want," Starship Technologies says. "We've found this to be very popular with students to date at GMU."
Sodexo officials note that college students are prolific users of food delivery apps, and highly value convenience and access to multiple dining options. Starship Technologies says GMU is the first U.S. campus to incorporate robots into its student dining plan.
From The Washington Post
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Abstracts Copyright © 2019 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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