Audio and story by Jerry Don Burton

The cube-shaped robots on wheels autonomously deliver from Godfather’s Pizza, Einstein Bros Bagels and Freshens to over 60 locations on campus. The Kiwibots also deliver food from virtual dining services including Mr. Beast Burger and AQ BBQ.

Richard Matthews, Sodexo interim general manager, said Arkansas State University is the first college in Arkansas to use the Kiwibot service.

“This was the technology that Sodexo suggested that might benefit the campus,” Matthews said. “We want to make sure this is something that is not only utilized but something that you guys want here.”

Around 300 Kiwibot deliveries have been completed since the semester began. Matthews said A-State’s current fleet of 15 Kiwibots could comfortably handle 500 to 700 deliveries every day.

Luke Caldwell, a senior history major from Conway, Arkansas, used the Kiwibot service during the first week of school.

“I heard about it, I downloaded the app and I gave it a shot,” Caldwell said. “It was fairly user friendly.”

Orders are placed using the Everyday app. From the app, users can select a delivery location, arrange a time for pickup and choose a payment method. The Everyday app accepts payment via Flex dollars.

Caldwell said his order was cheaper than he anticipated. He said his order cost the same as it would if he had ordered in person because there was no delivery fee.

Justin Lewandowski, retail operations manager for Sodexo, said Sodexo uses Everyday as their food hub app. Kiwibots cannot deliver food from Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks because they partner with Grub Hub, a competitor food delivery app.

Caldwell said his experience ordering with Kiwibot was pleasant overall, but the wait time was slower than expected.

“I think the estimated time was 15 or 20 minutes. An hour and a half later, it had not even left the Union yet,” Caldwell said.

Matthews said Kiwibots may encounter issues in very cloudy conditions or when the network is busy or slow. He said they ordered network boosters to increase the effectiveness of Kiwibots in areas that may see disruptions.

Caldwell said he submitted a support ticket concerning his delayed order. He said a Kiwibot customer employee messaged him apologizing for the wait and offered free orders as compensation.

He said when he received his order, the Kiwibot stopped at a designated location outside his dorm at North Park Quads. Caldwell said he scanned a QR code on the Kiwibot to open the chassis and retrieve his food.

Caldwell said he will keep using the Kiwibot service, but would like to see more accurate wait times in the app.

According to Kiwibot’s website, the bots can detect people, cars, and other bots. Kiwibots utilize GPS, artificial intelligence, cameras and sensors to travel autonomously, plan routes and avoid obstructions.

Matthews said Kiwi Campus, the company that owns the Kiwibot service, sent an employee to A-State for two weeks over the summer to help create routes for the Kiwibots. He said they utilized geo-mapping to plot out optimal pickup locations and delivery routes.

Sodexo employees underwent training over the summer to learn how to use the Kiwibots. Matthews said there are also two Kiwi Campus employees stationed at A-State.

“Each employee has been trained on how to load it, how to accept the orders, how to open the bot and load the food in,” Matthews said.

Lewandowski said employees use a tablet to accept orders and open the Kiwibot. Employees then load the order, close the bot and the rest of the process is hands-off.

Matthews said Sodexo is looking to promote the Kiwibots across campus. He said he wants to raise awareness by having the Kiwibots participate in events like football games and hosting giveaways.

“We are going to make things fun with Kiwi. This October, coming up, you should start seeing more,” Matthews said. “We are going to have you guys name the robots so instead of them having a number they would have a name and they can respond to their name.”

Lewandowski said they run their ideas and plans through Kiwi Campus. He said the two Kiwi Campus employees at A-State also help with planning.

Lewandowski said he wants Kiwibot to become another member of the A-State community.

“We really want it to be a part of this campus where it is a reliable resource for the students,” Lewandowski said. “This is a partnership with Kiwi that we want to see grow and expand in the future.”