Tennessee Tech launching a new fleet of delivery robots this fall semester to provide automated food service across the campus.
District Marketing Manager for Chartwells Taylor Petty said the university is partnering with Coco Robotics to bring the larger, brightly colored machines to Cookeville. Petty said the decision to implement the new technology follows the departure of the previous robot provider, Starship Technologies, which recently withdrew from universities nationwide.
“We’re Tennessee Tech, right?” Petty said, “It’s in the name: Tech, technology. So it only makes sense that we have, you know, that kind of innovation here on campus. So we absolutely couldn’t let the students, you know, they had a taste of that delivery, that robot delivery, we couldn’t let them go without it.”
Petty said the new robots will integrate directly with the Uber Eats platform, allowing students to use a familiar app rather than downloading a specialized program.
“The previous ones were just like, I would say, futuristic looking little white robots,” Petty said. “They’re quite larger…You definitely don’t miss those.”
Petty said the robots will deliver from several campus dining locations, including Taco Bell, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Which Wich, Starbucks, Poets, and the Market. Petty said the university will initially deploy between eight and 10 robots to cover the campus geofence.
“You know, even because I’d say honestly because it’s going to be the, we’re one of the first campuses, if not, I think, the first campus that will ever have Coco delivery,” Petty said. “And you know, I think that’s definitely something that’s important to not only Tennessee Tech but the students here, always trying to be innovative, trying to be first whenever it comes to technology and I think this just really fits that picture.”
Petty said Coco Robotics and Uber have mapped the campus roadways to establish designated drop-off locations for student orders. Petty said the robots are expected to operate in most weather conditions and will be supported by on-site technicians and student workers.
“We have onsite technicians at campus every day,” Petty said. “We, as in Coco, Coco actually employs some student workers themselves. So they will always be monitored. And if there’s ever any issue, there’s a signal that’ll go out to the team that’s monitoring them and then they can go help it out.”
Petty said the success of the initial rollout could lead to an expanded fleet or future partnerships with local businesses located off campus.
“I would definitely encourage anybody that visits Tennessee Tech’s campus to download the Uber Eats app and see if they can’t see one of these robots delivered to them,” Petty said.
