Food-delivery robots and college students: a match made in high-tech heaven

College students have fallen hard for food-delivery robots. The little guys certainly are cute, but more importantly, they’re convenient. In a 20-campus study conducted last year by robot delivery company Starship Technologies, 78% of students said they love the robots, with 20% admitting to just “liking” them (sure …).

What’s more, 6 out of 10 students said they could get more studying done because the robots deliver when and where they need them. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of students said they no longer skip meals because they can bypass long lines to get food.

“I never really thought that robots would be part of my college life or that I would get to see them so closely,” a Bowling Green State University student mentioned in the survey. “Now, I just think that it’s so cool and I’m also really glad that I can sleep in longer because the delivery comes to me when I want it.”

The ability to sleep in is always a win with the college crowd, and convenience is obviously king. For those, and many other reasons, we’ve seen a growing number of college dining teams bring robots into the mix, a sort of perfect storm for trying out the new technology on an audience that’s ready for it.

A fleet of Kiwibots will serve the campus community at Arkansas State University this fall. | Photo courtesy of Sodexo

At Arkansas State University (A-State), food-delivery robots from Kiwibot are getting charged up to bring campus into the future for the fall semester. Colombia-based Kiwibot has partnered with several big players, including Sodexo, Grubhub and IBM in cities from Washington, D.C. to Santa Monica to Detroit, Pittsburgh and Dubai.

At A-State’s recent New Student Orientation, a demo of the robots drew a lot of interest and excitement from incoming students who seemed eager to try the service for breakfast, lunch, dinner or late-night snack as they get settled into campus life.

The Sodexo foodservice team at A-State will deploy 15 Kiwibots to deliver food from five retail locations on campus directly to residence halls, administrative buildings and other designated spots. Food offerings include Godfather’s Pizza, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Freshens, Mr. Beast Burger, AQ BBQ, NASCAR Refuel Wings and BABB (Bad-Ass Breakfast Burritos).

To use the service, the Everyday App is needed to place orders from any of the participating food outlets on campus.

“We are thrilled to bring Kiwibot to A-State,” said Interim GM Richard Matthews in a statement. “This cutting-edge technology not only enhances the dining experience, but also provides a fun and practical solution for our students and staff. The Kiwibot service aligns perfectly with our commitment to innovation and student satisfaction.”

Depending on how it all goes, the university is considering the possibility of expanding the fleet by spring of next year.