Pepsi's 'snackbots' will convey refreshments to university students

Beverage company Pepsi has deployed autonomous “snackbots” on the 175-acre campus of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Starting today, students can order bagged snacks like potato chips and cold beverages using a smartphone app. A bot will then deliver it to one of 50 locations about campus.

The robots are part of Pepsi’s “Hello Goodness” vending platform and are built by Robby Technologies. The bots navigate the campus using a camera, headlights, and all-wheel drive. The company says they can travel approximately 20 miles on a single charge.

The snackbots are part of a pilot program. Three to five of the autonomous snack vendors are being tested at Pacific starting today. Hopefully, they will fare better than KiwiBot, which delivered refreshments on the UC Berkeley campus until it caught fire and died last year.