The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s University Housing Dining & Culinary Services is launching a new food delivery service utilizing Starship Technologies’ autonomous delivery robots.

“Our students are juggling more than they ever have before and we are always looking for inventive ways to support their campus dining needs,” says Peter Testory, director of University Housing Dining & Culinary Services.

“This delivery service allows us to reach them in a whole new way with made-from-scratch meals we offer from our dining markets. This added convenience and flexibility of dining for students allows us to provide an affordable option for those on campus.”

The delivery process starts when users open the Starship Deliveries app and select what they want from one of three locations. After choosing their desired items, users decide where they want their food to be delivered by selecting a location on the service map and dropping a pin. 

Using an interactive map, users can then watch as the robot makes its journey to them. Once the robot arrives, users receive an alert, and can then meet and unlock it through the app.

The delivery is usually completed within minutes, depending on the menu items ordered and the distance the robot has to travel. Each robot is capable of carrying up to 20 pounds, which is the equivalent of approximately three shopping bags of goods.

“Our technology is designed to support people when they need it most,” says Ryan Tuohy, SVP of Business Development for Starship.

“University of Wisconsin is our biggest US campus to date, which gives us an opportunity to help the students and faculty save time that would have been spent in line or waiting for their food. Now they can have more time to focus on the things that are important to them.”

Starship’s robots can travel on sidewalks and navigate around obstacles thanks to a combination of sophisticated machine learning, artificial intelligence and sensors. The robots can map their environment to the nearest inch thanks to their computer vision-based navigation.

Capable of operating in both rain and snow, as well as during the night, the robots can also cross streets and climb curbs. Their progress can be monitored remotely by a team of humans, who can take control of the robots at a moment’s notice.