Free robots, Faster food: Food delivery goes high-tech at SU

SU's newest food delivery driver, the Avride robot. Image courtesy of Tessah Good.

Robots have officially taken over.

Well, at least at Salisbury University.

Multiple robots have been spotted around campus. One robot was seen yesterday afternoon in front of the library. The four-wheeled device rolled its way to the Tunnel by Maggs Gym, before crossing the street to go to Fulton.

So, what are these robotic visitors?

The new robots are made by a company called Avride. They are designed to deliver Grubhub orders directly to students.

According to Grubhub's website, the robots will allow a faster, cheaper and contact free delivery to increase the safety of students.

A QR code can be found on the back of each robot. Students can scan the code to learn more about the different features of these devices. You can access the link here.

Image courtesy of Grace Conaway.

According to Avride's website, the robots have multiple cameras so it can see its surroundings, a 360-view sensor set with three sensor levels, and a lidar to allow it to operate in all weather conditions and at all times of the day.

The robot also has ultrasonic sensors, which helps it to quickly react to incoming cars and pedestrians, a battery life of more than 12 hours and a computer unit to ensure optimal performance.

SGA President Jahnaiya Sutherland said she is unsure if all the robots are on campus yet, but she believes "they are just getting the landscape of the university right now."

"We have about 7,000 undergraduate students, give or take some are online and some commute, but the amount of students who use the Grubhub app has actually shown Grubhub this will be a good investment on our campus," Sutherland said.

According to SU spokesperson, Jason Rhodes, SU will have 15-20 robots, with Grubhub charging a $3.50 fee per order to use them. He said the robots should be completely instituted by the spring.

Commons Marketing Assistant Xavier Dailey said a lot is still unknown about the new robots. Currently, they are in the process of working all the information out.

"Everything's up in the air right now," Dailey said. "Nothing is set in stone.

"We are getting robots but the when, what, where, why and how is still up in the air."

SU student Brendan Wilberger said he is excited to see SU's newest addition.

"I think it will benefit the campus community," Wilberger said. "Most campuses nowadays have these, so it shows Salisbury is keeping up with the times."

Check out @salisburyflyer on Instagram to see the robot in action.

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By TESSAH GOOD

Editor-in-Chief

Update: This story has been corrected to accurately reflect how many robots are expected to be on campus and the associated order fee.