Grubhub, Yandex to Bring Robot Delivery to University of Arizona

Food ordering and delivery platform Grubhub is rolling out its services to the University of Arizona using Yandex Self-Driving Group’s delivery robots — also known as rovers — following a similar launch at Ohio State University in September, according to a press release.

The 35,000-plus University of Arizona Wildcats will be able to order from on-campus dining locations — IQ Fresh, Einstein Bros Bagels, On Deck Deli and Sabor — using the Grubhub app. The third-generation robots travel at speeds between 3 to 5 m.p.h. and can autonomously negotiate sidewalks, crosswalks and various weather conditions. The rovers can also drive day or night and operate seven days a week.

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“We’ve been working with the University of Arizona’s dining team on efforts that drive the dining experience forward for the last eight years — from rolling out on-campus pickup and delivery to smart food lockers and our Ultimate ordering technology,” said Travis Price, senior manager of strategic partnerships at Grubhub.

The Yandex rovers have removable batteries, additional cameras, LED headlights and the ability to move across rough terrain and over high curbs.

“Our ongoing partnership with Grubhub, and now Yandex, continues to strengthen and bring cool new innovation to our campus,” said Todd Millay, executive director of Arizona Student Unions.

“We’re lucky to be the second school in the nation to launch with Grubhub’s new robot delivery service,” he added.

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The rovers can reach places on campus that most cars cannot, and also deliver to frequented places on-campus — dorms, the Main Library, Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library, McKale Center and more.

“I think the robots are awesome,” freshman student Matthew Larson told the college newspaper The Daily Wildcat. “They’re pretty easy …. The only thing I think students might have a little trouble with is scanning the QR code to open it.”

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