Grubhub is using robots to deliver food on the OSU campus

If you happen to see a small, motorized robot scooting its way across the OSU campus sometime soon, don’t be alarmed. It’s not an alien invasion.

It’s just a Grubhub delivery.

Starting this fall, the third-party food delivery system will utilize a fleet of 50 self-driving robots from the multinational technology company Yandex.

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The small, white vehicles—which resemble Mars rover—will operate between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. seven days a week. They’ll deliver to every campus residence hall in addition to Thompson Library and Bricker Hall.

“Not only do the rovers enhance the current food delivery options, but open new possibilities for smarter, better and faster dining,” said Peter Szelei, business development executive at Yandex in a press release. “Imagine ordering morning coffee and grabbing it from a robot waiting at your doorstep as you head out to class, or studying in a park with friends and requesting a rover to roll up and deliver snacks. We’re thrilled to support making these possibilities a reality.”

One of the benefits of the Yandex rovers, which travel across campus at three to five miles per hour, have to do with their size. They’re able to navigate sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian areas that cars can’t. They even operate in the snow and rain.

Now the only thing OSU students need are some robots to do their homework for them.

If you like this, read: Columbus City Council considering third-party delivery fee cap to protect restaurants

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