By Akash Sriram
(Reuters) – Autonomous technology startup Avride said on Thursday it has partnered with food delivery company Grubhub to deploy its robots on college campuses across the United States.
Companies and colleges began testing sidewalk delivery robots after the pandemic started, aiming to address labor shortages, cut costs, and reduce dependence on cars for deliveries.
Avride’s first fleet of 100 robots is active at Ohio State University, where it also plans to introduce its next-generation models, the startup said.
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 strong interest and demand for robots on U.S. campuses.
Companies such as Avride and Serve Robotics have been cementing 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 made 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.
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)
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