NTU Has a Robot to Make Food Deliveries; Over 400 Orders Delivered Since July

By
Ashley Seek
-
Advertisements
 

There’s always that sci-fi dream that one day, robots will live and work among us.

Or at the very least, ease our physical and manpower burdens.

In fact, Singapore is coming up with the SwabBot, a robot controlled by the patient that’s supposed to make the process more comfortable.

Advertisements
 

Reader Bao: So when can I get a GrabBot to come and deliver food to me?

Actually, if you currently study in NTU, this might’ve been your reality for a while!

NTU Has a Robot to Make Food Deliveries

I think every outsider (author included) would get jealous seeing this.

A video uploaded by user u/penguioni to the Reddit page, r/Singapore, saw some little robots going down a pathway.

They then stop in front of a canteen and the video ends.

While they look unassuming, these little guys are actually food delivery robots!

Not just that, they’re also the first outdoor delivery robots in the country.

Developed In NTU

It’s even more impressive when you find out the NTU students were the ones who made this.

Advertisements
 

The students’ startup, Whizz, made these robots so that other students could get food delivered around campus for free.

That feeling where you essentially have robot-Grab in school.

You can watch how it works in Whizz’s video below:

They’ve partnered up with another student-startup, Wecome Cates, in order to bring out the bots’ full potential.

The aforementioned startup is a food-delivery mobile app for those ordering from eateries at the school’s Yunnan Campus.

Advertisements
 

Once the food is ordered, it is loaded onto the rover.

A remote operator (i.e. human being) will then take control of the rover and direct it to where the customer is.

So you don’t need to worry, the robots aren’t smart enough to take over the world yet.

Once nearby, the customer is notified and will be asked to come and collect it.

Hundreds Of Orders

I think the following section is only going to make us more envious.

Advertisements
 

These robots have apparently completed over 400 orders since its beta-testing days in July, Asiaone reported.

And this was only in NTU, so us other humans barely into Phase Two then couldn’t get such luxury.

What’s more, the delivery is contactless since it’s done by a machine. This also reduces the risk of COVID-19 being spread around the school.

Safe and convenient? That’s the 2020 dream right there.

You can find out more about Whizz over here.

Food deliveries have been a lifesaver in this COVID-19 pandemic, and perhaps with companies like Grab on the road to recovery, maybe a GrabBot could be a thing of the near future.

Advertisements
 

Or a flying car, that’s good too.

Featured Image: Reddit (penguioni)

Here’s what NCMPs are, and what to expect after GE2025:

Read Also:


 
Ashley Seek
[email protected]