Ohio Northern University launched robot delivery on campus this week with the arrival of Kiwibot on the Ada, OH campus. The robot delivery program at Ohio Northern is being supported by a partnership between Kiwibot and food service provider, Sodexo.

According to an official university release, Ohio Northern students will place mobile orders through the Everyday app. Once an order is placed, one of ONU's fleet of 15 Kiwibots will pick up the food and deliver it to the selected drop-off location on campus.

The partnership between Kiwibot and Sodexo has led to a number of new campus deployments of late, ranging from campuses large to small.

“This is a new opportunity to further enhance student dining while promoting Sodexo's standards for a quality meal experience,” says Teresa Beachler, Sodexo general manager at Ohio Northern University.

After placing their order, students will receive a unique link to track the order, follow the robot's location in real-time, and open the lid when the robot arrives. Students can place robot delivery orders between 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.

“I am very excited by this new state of the art opportunity that will further enhance student dining at Ohio Northern University,” says Jason Broge, vice president for financial affairs at ONU. “Kiwibots will bring an innovative and fun delivery experience for our students.”

Kiwibots are semi-autonomous, relying on on-board sensors to help navigate sidewalks, streets and obstacles. Kiwibot also staffs human supervisors who will monitor the fleet in case any additional assistance or support is needed.