Grubhub Teams With Yandex for Robot Delivery at Ohio State University
August 19, 2021
Grubhub and the Yandex Self-Driving Group have announced it will roll out delivery via Yandex’s robots on the campus of Ohio State University (OSU). The rollout will include 50 Yandex robots to serve more than 60,000 students in food delivery from on-campus dining locations via the Grubhub app.
The rovers will operate from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Students will be able to request robots to deliver food to every residence hall on campus, as well as Thompson Library and Bricker Hall, Grubhub said.
The Yandex robots can autonomously navigate pavements, campus crosswalks and pedestrian areas, which can be challenging to reach via car. The robots move at 3 to 5 mph during daytime and after dark and in different weather conditions, including rain and snow. The robots have enough space to fit a couple of coffees and a bagel sandwich, or multiple pizzas, 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 OSU.
For more details on the Yandex Self-Driving Group, visit its website here.
