Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at Missouri State University

the MSU bear mascot with the Starship delivery pod
Missouri State’s more than 20,000 students, faculty and staff can now use the Starship Food Delivery app. | Credit: Starship

Starship Technologies rolled out its robot food delivery service today at Missouri State University, in partnership with Chartwells Higher Education. This is the first university in Missouri where Starship delivery robots are providing service. The robots will provide deliveries daily.

Starship’s fleet of 20 autonomous, on-demand robots will deliver food from several campus eateries, including:

  • Einstein Bros. Bagels
  • Subway
  • Panda Express
  • Market Café 1905 (will be added soon)

“I think the robots will be a huge hit on campus,” said Dee Siscoe, Missouri State vice president for student affairs. “Our campus community will be able to receive food and drinks in a fun, fast and innovative new way!”

Missouri State’s more than 20,000 students, faculty and staff can now use the Starship Food Delivery app (iOS and Android) to order food and drinks from local retailers to be delivered anywhere on the main campus within minutes. The service will soon work in conjunction with the student meal plan’s dining dollars.

“I’m really excited for these robots! Having the ability to get food delivered right to my location simply with my meal plan will be a lifesaver for long days,” said Missouri State student Ovidio De Leon.

According to Terry Weber, Missouri State’s Plaster Student Union director, the convenience that robotic food delivery will provide to the campus is immense.

“Buildings and individuals that are not located in close proximity to the dining centers or retail vendors will have food options they’ve never had before,” he said.

Starship already serves BGSU, UH, UT, and ID. All campuses have added robotics, cafeteria options, and operating hours to satisfy demand.

Open the Starship Deliveries app, choose your meal or drink, and drop a pin where you want it delivered. An interactive map lets them track the robot’s progress.

Once the robot comes, customers can unlock it through the app. Delivery takes minutes, depending on menu items and robot distance. Each robot can handle three shopping bags.

“We’re excited to start the new school year by expanding our services to Missouri,” said Chris Neider, Director of Business Development at Starship Technologies. “We think the students will quickly see the advantages of contactless delivery and enjoy having the robots become part of the campus community.”

Starship Technologies works worldwide and serves colleges across the country. Its zero-emission robots have completed 3.5 million autonomous deliveries, driven millions of kilometers, and cross 140,000 roads daily. Robots employ machine learning, AI, and sensors to traverse sidewalks and obstacles. The robots’ computer vision-based navigation maps their environment to the inch. Robots can traverse streets, climb curbs, move at night, and work in rain and snow. A team of humans can observe and take control remotely.

mike oitzman headshot.
Written by

Mike Oitzman

Mike Oitzman is Senior Editor of WTWH's Robotics Group, cohost of The Robot Report Podcast, and founder of the Mobile Robot Guide. Oitzman is a robotics industry veteran with 25-plus years of experience at various high-tech companies in the roles of marketing, sales and product management. He can be reached at moitzman@wtwhmedia.com.