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Morgan State University has joined the ranks of universities to add robot delivery on campus, deploying a fleet of KiwiBots on its Baltimore campus. University officials are taking advantage of the spring break period to prep the campus for the new delivery initiative.
Robot delivery on the Morgan State campus is underpinned by the university's food-service provider Sodexo. Together with Kiwibot, Morgan State students can use their mobile device to place orders and meet the small, semi-autonomous robots on campus in between classes or whenever is most convenient.
Placing an order for delivery is simple. Students open the BiteU app on their smartphone, place an order from the list of participating vendors, and the robot handles the rest, collecting the order and driving it to the selected location. The average wait time is expected to be 20-35 minutes depending on distance and peak times.
A somewhat unique twist on the robot delivery formula, Morgan State is offering its students the option of a subscription plan for use of the robots. The standard formula of a per-order delivery fee is also available, but the subscription plans include:
The Kiwibot Delivery package waives both delivery (normally $2.00 per order) and service fees (10% of order total) for 15 Kiwi Robot deliveries per semester unless otherwise noted. Students can use the plan during all operating hours and operating areas on campus with no daily order limits.
The delivery plans are non-transferrable, expire at the end of each semester, and credits do not carry-over semester to semester. The Kiwibot Delivery Plan is optional and available for students, faculty, and staff to purchase.
Depending on their meal plan, students will have the option to link their student ID card to the app as payment. Debit and credit cards will be accepted as well.
The robots will drop off orders from Rawlings Cafe between 7am to 12am, or the Canteen in the Student Center between 11am to 8pm.
Currently, Kiwibots deliver food and beverages, with university officials planning to incorporate additional items in the near future. The full roster of participating locations is available to students in their BiteU mobile app.
The Kiwibots have been running test deliveries during the week of spring break and will be fully up and running for student orders when classes resume.
