New campus food delivery robots keep their eyes on the sidewalk– literally

By Morgan Lane, Editor-in-Chief and Edwardina Beeko, Contributing Writer

A new fleet of robots developed by Avride, an autonomous vehicle development company, is rolling across campus.

The AI powered food delivery bots are partnering with Grubhub to pick up where the previous Starship delivery robots left off.

“Avride’s partnership with Towson and Grubhub grew from its existing relationship with the food delivery platform,” said Laura Lawton, Avride’s head of communications.

The new robots are designed for year-round outdoor operation, including rain and moderate snow. 

They also include something that the Starship fleet didn’t have, eyes.

Each Avride delivery bot has two LED “eyes” that can showcase different emotions. A small camera in between the eyes detect objects and motion for pedestrian safety.

“Their water-resistant construction, suspension and low maximum speed of 5 mph help them navigate everyday sidewalk conditions safely,” Lawton said.

Yet, students expressed mixed feelings toward the new delivery bots.

Senior Irvin Sosa-Perez said he hoped the Avride robots would improve the long wait times he experienced with the Starship vehicles. Instead, he said waiting over an hour for the autonomous robot to deliver his food made him less likely to use the service again.

“There’s a one and done for me,” he said.

For students familiar with the previous Starship robots, the change sparked curiosity. 

“I know that there were a lot of issues that we dealt with last year with them running into buildings,” said sophomore Anayah Sparks. “I was also interested to see what the new design would be like.

Sparks noticed the new robots around the Glen Complex and has not seen them have the same problems as the previous Starship robots.

“I haven’t seen any do the wacky things that they used to do,” Sparks said. “I would like to try it out more just because it’s new.”

The transition to Avride is part of Aramark’s continued efforts to make campus dining easier and more accessible, according to Rich Coburn, Aramark’s Mid-Atlantic district manager.

“While students may notice a new look and new robots around campus, our focus throughout the transition has remained the same,” he said in an emailed statement to The Towerlight. “We’re looking forward to seeing Avride become part of the everyday campus experience.”