Fordham University is now among the first in New York City to have a fleet of robots specifically designed to deliver food to students anywhere on the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx.
The seven robots from Starship Technologies, in partnership with Grubhub, soft-launched the program on Aug. 26, the day before classes started, during student move-in day. Though some people were surprised to see a robot making its way around campus during a test run, they will soon become part of the campus ecosystem.
Students can now use their meal plan accounts to order from five of the nine campus restaurants via Grubhub — The Grotto, Urban Kitchen, Cosi, Dagger John’s and Bronx Bagel Co. — and have their food delivered via robot within 15 minutes.
The robots have a white, soft rectangular design with rugged wheels that can even navigate stairs. The top lid lifts up to place the food inside and take it out at the destination, where it says in a friendly voice, “Hello, here is your delivery.”
Among local universities in New York City, Fordham is a pioneer in robot food delivery. Just one other university in the five boroughs, Wagner College on Staten Island, has a fully operational fleet of delivery robots on campus, according to Fordham officials.
Excitement for the robots, despite some glitches
The bot drew some incredulous stares as it scooted around campus on a test run — and had to be manually controlled by Starship when it couldn’t maneuver around a parked car to leave the charging area, and later when it unexpectedly began returning to base in the middle of a sample order.
But despite the glitches, students said they’re excited for the option.
Madeleine Ando, student government vice president of the facilities and dining committee, said she loved the delivery bots from a mechanical engineering perspective (her major) and as a busy student who has to traverse the 85-acre campus.
“I’m a big robot fan, and I’m also a little bit lazy when it comes to walking across campus to go to certain dining locations,” said Ando in an Aug. 26 interview. “I will definitely be using this during intense study sessions when I don’t want to walk across.”
Ando said the campus is much bigger than it appears, and the robots will help students with mobility challenges as well as those simply looking to save time and hassle. Today’s college students have “a very high standard” for campus food, and they expect fast, easy delivery options too, said Ando.
“I think it’s a great step forward for the university,” she said.
Ayden Johnson, vice president of the sustainability committee and a fellow mechanical engineering major, agreed.
“I think the robots are pretty cool,” Johnson said. “It’s gonna be a great thing for campus.”
The robots deliver not only food but also on-campus jobs. Starship Technologies has trained four Fordham students to maintain and troubleshoot the machines, which are charged in an isolated corner behind the football stadium and will be deployed each morning to await orders at the participating restaurants.
“We are thrilled to launch Starship robot delivery on Fordham’s sprawling Rose Hill campus, bringing the corners of campus closer to the dining experience at Fordham,” said Michele Burris, Fordham’s vice president of student affairs, in a statement. “Students will be able to have their favorite meals delivered across campus, allowing them to focus on studying, attending classes, and participating in club activities.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
