Hundreds of little robots are rolling around colleges and cities in the United States, Britain and elsewhere.The robots, about 50 centimeters tall, are bringing food like pizza to hungry students.The robots were being tested in limited numbers before the pandemic started.But pandemic-related worker shortages and a desire for contactless delivery have expanded their use."We saw demand for robot usage just go through the ceiling," said Alastair Westgarth.He is the head of Starship Technologies, whose robots recently made their 2 millionth delivery."I think demand was always there, but it was brought forward by the pandemic effect."Starship has deployed more than 1,000 robots, up from just 250 in 2019.Hundreds more will be sent out soon.They are delivering food at 20 U.S. colleges and 25 more will be added soon.They are also operating in Milton Keynes, England; Modesto, California; and the company's hometown of Tallinn, Estonia.The robots use cameras, sensors and GPS to move around and even cross streets on their own at the speed of 8 kilometers per hour.
