Autonomous technology startup Avride has partnered with food delivery company Grubhub to deploy its robots on college campuses throughout the United States, the company announced on Thursday.
Companies and universities started exploring sidewalk delivery robots after the COVID-19 pandemic began. The aim was to address labor shortages, reduce costs, and lessen reliance on cars for deliveries.
Avride’s initial fleet of 100 robots is active at Ohio State University, where the startup also plans to introduce its next-generation models. The university also uses robots from other startups, such as Cartken, and now exclusively relies on robot deliveries.
“Campuses are almost ideal environments for introducing automation in delivery. They are relatively small areas, with a high density of orders, that is where robots shine the most right now,” Avride CEO Dmitry Polishchuk told Reuters.
Polishchuk added that the company has seen robust interest and demand for robots on U.S. campuses. Companies such as Avride and Serve Robotics have been establishing partnerships with ride-hailing and delivery startups to commercialize robotic food delivery.
In October, Avride said it would partner with Uber and its delivery unit for food deliveries and robotaxi services.
Austin, Texas-based Avride, which has already completed 200,000 deliveries across five countries, was founded in 2017. The startup was previously part of the self-driving division of Russian company Yandex, from which it separated last year following corporate restructuring.
