Food Delivery Robots Coming to Bowie State

By D. Thompson

You may have noticed some white, futuristic-looking devices roaming around campus during the early portion of the spring semester. They are part of a new fleet of food delivery robots getting ready for deployment in March, courtesy of a partnership between Bowie State University and Starship Technologies.

Starship will provide the campus with 15 autonomous food delivery robots that students, faculty and staff will be able to use via the company’s app to receive food delivery to almost any campus location. The robots will have access to the menus of the various campus dining options.

Maurice Tyler, Bowie State’s vice president for information technology, hails the arrival of the robots as a demonstration of the university’s commitment to being a leader when it comes to bringing cutting edge technology to campus.

“It puts a stake in the ground that we are serious about advancements in technology and being a leader in deploying innovations,” said Tyler. “We definitely have the Cadillac of these food delivery robots.”

The robots are currently active on over 20 university campuses nationwide, but Bowie State will be the first HBCU in Maryland to deploy a fleet. They spent January and February mapping the campus for their navigation systems and will be able to detect people and traffic as they make their way across campus delivery routes.

The robots have a range of security features including cameras, GPS tracking, alarms and the ability to be remote piloted to ensure that deliveries or the robots themselves are secure while they’re out and about. The drones are also designed to operate in a variety of weather conditions.

“These things can still deliver in rain, sleet, snow or shine,” said Tyler. “I wanted to be able to give students that flexibility.”

The food delivery drones will also create opportunities for student employment, as the robots will need to be cleaned and maintained to stay in working order. Also, the eateries on campus may hire extra hands to deal with bringing food to the drones since they can’t navigate through doorways.

Beyond offering the campus a convenient method for ordering food, the robots will also provide another food option for students with disabilities or for those who are sick and don’t wish to risk exposing others.

Tyler is excited about the coming deployment of the robots and the benefits they add to Bowie State.

“There’s no downside to this service,” he said.