Noted: The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is also launching a fleet of Kiwibots on campus this fall.
UW-Madison partnered with a different company, Starship Technologies, though the general concept is the same. The university’s 30-bot fleet debuted in November 2019, which turned out to be good timing. The robots offered students a dining option without needing to set foot in a busy dining hall during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last school year, UW-Madison received nearly 80,000 orders, said UW-Madison spokesperson Brendon Dybdahl.
“The Starship robots have become a very popular fixture on our campus,” he said. “Students take pictures with them, help them when they occasionally get stuck, and treat them almost like people.”