Why do college kids get all the cool robots?

Blendid

If you have a kid heading to college in the fall, it might be time to have the talk. It's okay to experiment, but don't go crazy for the first robot you meet -- you'll have others.

That's because college campuses are fast emerging as a critical early testing ground for the robotics sector. The latest example comes via juice purveyor Jamba and Blendid, a robotic food service solutions provider. The companies will roll out their autonomous robotic kiosk locations at UCLA.

The best photography drones

This lineup of aerial hardware fits a variety of enterprise photography and video use cases.

Read now

Jamba, which along with Walmart, is one of Blendid's early partners, sees a big advantage to a college rollout, part of an interesting trend industry-wide of using colleges as automation testbeds.

"Our robotic smoothie kiosks provide a new way for college campuses around the country to meet students' demand for fresh and nutritious on-the-go food options – where and when they want it," says Vipin Jain, CEO and co-founder of Blendid. "As we look to expand to even more colleges and universities, I'd love to see Jamba by Blendid kiosks become a standard food service option across U.S. college campuses in the years ahead."

I spoke to Vipin last year about the opportunities the pandemic unexpectedly opened for robotic food service providers, placing a premium on contactless service. Companies are moving swiftly to roll their robots out in a quest for early market share and limited investor dollars. The food robotics market, estimated at $1.9 billion in 2020, is expected to reach $4.0 billion by 2026. Technological advancements in robotics and AI, operational cost advantages, and major consumer and retailer shifts are driving the food industry to embrace automation more rapidly. A tight labor market and well-publicized worker shortages among restaurant employers are also hastening the shift. 

This AI-powered prosthetic hand is bringing design and style to a life-changing product The best robot vacuums available now Why do college kids get all the cool robots? The 5 best robot mowers: Hands-free lawn care This AI-powered prosthetic hand is bringing design and style to a life-changing product

The best robot vacuums available now

Why do college kids get all the cool robots?

The 5 best robot mowers: Hands-free lawn care

Editorial standards Show Comments