Grubhub and Yandex SDG launch robot delivery technology at The Ohio State University
robot delivery technology at Ohio State University
Robot delivery technology at Ohio State University
Grubhub, one of the leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery platform on college campuses, and Yandex Self-Driving Group (SDG), a leading autonomous vehicles developer inside Yandex, one of Europe’s largest internet companies, will roll out delivery via Yandex’s robots at its first college campus — The Ohio State University (OSU).
We also spotted a likewise system in China, where Alibaba is deploying 1,000 delivery bots across Chinese university campuses and urban communities this year. The bots, called Xiaomanlv or ‘small donkey’ in Mandarin, can deliver about 50 packages at one time and as many as 500 packages in one day, covering 100 kilometres on a single charge. Although the final robot delivery technology in our streets may differ from those some parties are testing, it looks like we will have to get used that these systems will integrate our traffic system. We can’t imagine what it will be like in Amsterdam, it’s already a big challenge to ride a bike here if you’re not used to drive here!
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50 Yandex robots at Ohio State University deliver food ordered via the Grubhub app
More than 60,000 hungry Buckeyes will be able to order their favorite foods from on-campus dining locations via the Grubhub app and have them delivered by one of 50 Yandex robots operating at the OSU campus in a fast and cost-effective way. The rovers operate from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Students can request robots to deliver food to every residence hall on campus as well as Thompson Library and Bricker Hall.
Robot delivery technology
Yandex robots autonomously navigate pavements, campus crosswalks and pedestrian areas, which are notoriously challenging to reach by car. They move around a large university campus swiftly at 3 to 5 miles per hour during daytime and after dark and in various weather conditions, including rain and snow. The robots are spacious enough to fit a couple of coffees and a bagel sandwich, or multiple pizzas to share with friends, all while keeping the food at the right temperature.
“We’re excited to bring this cutting-edge and efficient delivery experience to students at The Ohio State University,” said Brian Madigan, vice president of corporate and campus partners at Grubhub. “OSU and Grubhub have worked together for years to offer students a variety of ways to enjoy the food they love on campus. Now we’re building on our efforts to enhance the dining experience through Yandex’s rover technology for quicker and easier deliveries.”
“By partnering with Grubhub, we can bring robotic delivery to some of the people who need it most – students, researchers and professors who are short on time,” said Peter Szelei, business development executive at Yandex SDG. “Not only do the rovers enhance the current food delivery options, but open new possibilities for smarter, better and faster dining. 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.”
“We pride ourselves on offering an exceptional dining experience to students, and we’re always looking to provide new ways to make getting food on campus as convenient as possible,” said Zia Ahmed, senior director, dining services at The Ohio State University. Check out this video in which he shows how it works, text will continue below the video.
About Grubhub
Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com, a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting more than 33 million diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 300,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.
About Yandex Self-Driving Group
Yandex has been developing its proprietary self-driving technology since 2017. As of today, Yandex’s autonomous vehicle fleet has 170 cars, which have driven over seven million autonomous miles on public roads in various weather and road conditions in three countries – Russia, Israel and the United States. The maturity of the technology as well as the accumulated real-world mileage makes Yandex one of the leading developers of self-driving technology globally.
Since late 2019, the company has also been developing its own delivery robots. Based on the same self-driving technology as its autonomous vehicles, these rovers are built to deliver small and medium-sized packages. Yandex robots are already delivering orders from shops and restaurants to customers in Russia and the United States.
Website: Grubhub and Yandex SDG
