UW-EC to welcome new food delivery robots

Aug. 25—EAU CLAIRE — UW-Eau Claire's campus sidewalks will guide more than just student footsteps this fall.

They will serve as a roadmap for 15 new food delivery Kiwibots, programmed to bring Blugold Dining orders to students anywhere on campus.

The new program, which launches Sept. 6, comes through partnership with Sodexo, UW-Eau Claire's on-campus food vendor. The university will be the second UW System school to utilize the food provider's contract with Kiwibot, a Colombian-owned food delivery startup, after UW-Madison.

Kristin Schumacher, director of University Centers, said the idea of implementing a robotic food delivery system was initially introduced several years ago; however, the COVID-19 pandemic put everything on pause.

Upon learning of Sodexo's partnership with Kiwibot at a Sodexo summit six months ago, Schumacher said the university knew it was time to act.

"It's something innovative and technologically savvy for our students. We think that's cool," Schumacher said. "We think it's a great recruitment tool."

She noted that the eclectic-powered Kiwibots will also be helpful amidst the country's current food laborer shortage. The cost of the program itself for the university is not yet clear, Schumacher said, as the university is preparing to discuss finances with Sodexo later this week.

Once the program is up and running, students on campus will be able to order from a selection of campus foods and drinks through an app called Everyday. Upon checkout, they will be directed to select a delivery drop spot on campus, where a Kiwibot will bring their order in a container with both heating and cooling compartments.

The app will allow users to track their order virtually. As the user nears the robot, it will sense their arrival. The user may then use the app to unlock the robot's lid and retrieve their order, preventing theft.

Students, faculty and staff using the Everyday app have the option of purchasing goods via an a la carte fee or through a semester-long subscription. Kiwibot offers three subscription plans: $40 for 15 deliveries, $109 for 45 deliveries and $159 for 70 deliveries. Students also on a meal plan will be offered a yet-to-be-determined number of free deliveries at the beginning of the semester in order to learn how everything works.

Students may use their declining dollars to pay for purchases, but the app will not take block meal orders.

The program will only be available during operating hours, which have not been officially set yet. Schumacher said the bots will likely be out of operation during the summer.

Kiwibot launched its robots on campus about two weeks ago for mapping, Schumacher said. All of the robots are programmed to follow campus master planning facilities and American Disability Act routes, meaning they will not stray from campus and they will stay on routes that are required by law to be clear of snow and ice.

Schumacher said there was one other concern that had to be addressed before the program could be implemented. The university had to be sure the robots could make it up UW-Eau Claire's infamous hill. A test run was completed in July.

"They made it up the hill with no problems at all," Schumacher said.

The robots are also equipped with motion sensing technology, which prevents them from running into students or other objects.

Schumacher said the new food delivery program comes with another unique benefit that she hopes will attract prospective students. Kiwibot is partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts.

"Outside of our own menu that we have here on campus, Virtual Dining Concepts is a company that works with pop culture figures who are famous for rolling out food," Schumacher explained.

Virtual Dining Concepts offers 20 different partnership options. UW-Eau Claire has opted to start with three: MrBeast Burger, Buddy V's Cake Slice and Pardon My Cheesesteak. This means that students may order select menu items prepared and delivered to campus by these three food influencers.

MrBeast Burger is a virtual, delivery-only chain developed by internet personality Jimmy Donaldson. Buddy V's Cake Slice is a bakery owned by Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr., former host of TLC's Cake Boss. Pardon My Cheesesteak is a delivery-only chain developed by the top sports podcast in the country, Pardon My Take.

"We think it's going to be a hit," Schumacher said, noting the positive responses the Kiwibots have gotten on other campuses.

According to the Kiwibot website, the company has launched over 500 robots on 26 U.S. campuses through Sodexo.

"What we've heard from other campuses is that students are tending to see these bots as personalities," Schumacher said. "They really see them as characters on campus, sort of like a mascot."

On these other campuses, she added, students have been known to stop cars so the robots are able to cross the street unharmed. They've also been known to help the robots when they get stuck or knocked over. The robots, which have screens that allow them to make facial expressions or say hello, are also able to speak and call for help when needed.

Schumacher noted that there have been few reports of Kiwibot vandalism. And, if one gets stolen, each robot is equipped with GPS for tracking.

"There's no foolproof way to ensure vandalism won't happen," Schumacher said. "Our police know that they're out and about."

Ultimately, Schumacher said the Kiwibots have already been met with a wave of positivity from students. In an effort to promote campus engagement, Schumacher said the university is considering holding a naming contest for each robot. The names would then be written on the bots.

"We thought it would be fun to have some personality and engage the students in a way that other campuses really haven't done," Schumacher said.

Depending on how the school year goes, Schumacher said the university will adjust the number of Kiwibots on campus if necessary. The current number came as a recommendation from Kiwibot based on the university's enrollment and staffing numbers.

If all goes well, Schumacher said, the Kiwibots may even have a future beyond campus. Though this would not be for some time, she said it may eventually be possible for students living off campus to utilize the Kiwibots. That, she added, would need to be discussed further with the city.