The university has partnered with Grubhub and Yandex, an autonomous vehicle developer, to roll out contactless food delivery on campus from select dining services. Credit: Tom Hanks | Lantern Reporter
Ohio State students have a new delivery service that they don’t have to tip this semester: robots.
The university partnered with Grubhub and Yandex, an autonomous vehicle developer, to roll out contactless food delivery on campus from select dining services. Students, faculty and staff will be able to order food from Curl Market, 12th Avenue Bread Company, Connecting Grounds and Mirror Lake Eatery through the Grubhub app and have their food delivered between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
The university has been working toward launching the robot delivery service for several years, university spokesperson Dave Isaacs said in an email. He said with the return of more in-person classes, it felt like an ideal time to introduce the service.
According to a press release from the Office of Student Life, there are currently 50 of the 88-pound, 26-inch-wide and 34-inch-long robots roaming campus, with plans to expand to 100 over time. The robots are able to operate in any area where people can walk — and can navigate through water and snow.
Abby Silone, a second-year in computer and information science who works in dining services, said she feels the robots will increase the efficiency of food delivery on campus.
“It’s going to be a lot faster and it’ll be a lot easier for students to get food,” Silone said. “If you live somewhere on campus, such as Morill or Lincoln Towers, this will make it a lot easier than having to walk so far.”
Students, faculty and staff will use the Grubhub app to place their order and then select the robot delivery. Delivery will then be made to a designated spot at each location that is selected upon placing the order, according to the Grubhub app.
Locations for delivery include residence halls, Bricker Hall and Thompson Library — all within the delivery area which is bounded by Lane Avenue, High Street, Ninth Avenue and Cannon Drive.
The release also stated that individuals can monitor the progress of their robot through the Grubhub app. The university expects its contract with Grubhub will set the delivery charge at $2.50 per order for the next three years — which is below market rate for other, typical food delivery options, according to the release.
Silone said she feels the robots present numerous benefits, such as alleviating safety concerns that come with delivery from a stranger.
“You’ll get your food in less than 30 minutes, compared to traditional delivery, which can take over an hour, which also helps with COVID-19 concerns, and you’re not dealing with some random person,” Silone said.
Zia Ahmed, senior director of Student Life Dining Services, said the program may expand in the future to include more restaurants.
“Our plan is to expand from there and who knows, maybe we’ll expand to off-campus restaurants,” Ahmed said.
