The Washington Post has a story about how the use of autonomous delivery robots on the campus of George Mason University has changed students’ eating habits.
“In the two months since the robots arrived at the Fairfax, Va.-based school,” the story says, “an extra 1,500 breakfast orders have been delivered autonomously, according to Starship Technologies and Sodexo, a company that manages food services for GMU on contract and works closely with the robots.”
This suggests that the vast majority of students who have tended to skip breakfast may be changing their morning routines, eating what is generally considered the most important meal of the day.
According to the story, “The robots make food deliveries all over the 800-acre campus, school officials say. They’re frequently seen making the 15-minute trip from campus restaurants to a handful of nearby dorms, as well as to other buildings across campus, where students meet them en route to class.”
“In the two months since the robots arrived at the Fairfax, Va.-based school,” the story says, “an extra 1,500 breakfast orders have been delivered autonomously, according to Starship Technologies and Sodexo, a company that manages food services for GMU on contract and works closely with the robots.”
This suggests that the vast majority of students who have tended to skip breakfast may be changing their morning routines, eating what is generally considered the most important meal of the day.
According to the story, “The robots make food deliveries all over the 800-acre campus, school officials say. They’re frequently seen making the 15-minute trip from campus restaurants to a handful of nearby dorms, as well as to other buildings across campus, where students meet them en route to class.”
- KC's View:
-
One of the really interesting things about this experiment is that, according to the story, “the robots also provide campus officials with valuable data showing what time students are eating, where that food is coming from and how meal plans are being used.”
The school promises that it will not monetize the information, but could use it to be more effective in how it serves some student needs.
I think that’s fascinating … just as I find it interesting that the students took to the technology right away - no dithering, no hesitation, no fear.
That would make me think about technology differently, if I were a retailer.
