Starship Robots

A Brief History of George �鶹��Ƶ Robots

Katarina Benson — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:59:40 +0000

A Brief History of George �鶹��Ƶ Robots Katarina Benson Fri, 09/12/2025 - 11:59

1986

Cover Photo by Carl Zitzmann

George �鶹��Ƶ’s first robot named R B5 X graces the cover of an early alumni magazine.

2010–2014

Photo by Office of University Branding

RoboPatriots take on the world in international competitions. Read more about them.

2015

Photo by Alexis Glenn

Erica Cohen, MEd ’15, uses a VGo robot to attend the College of Education and Human Development’s degree celebration while she is at her child’s graduation 250 miles away.

2018

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Mechanical engineering students build a robot called Thunder Rat to inspect campus storm drains. Read more about Thunder Rat.

2019

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Computer engineering students design and build a robotic fish called Bumblebee for their capstone design project. Here Bumblebee goes for a test swim in �鶹��Ƶ Pond. Pictured from left, George �鶹��Ƶ students Sergio Cruz and Morteza Eskandari, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Feitian Zhang, and student Blazej Horyza.

2019

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Starship robots begin rolling out for food delivery on Fairfax Campus.

2023

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Patriot Pilots showcase their autonomous lighter-than-air robotic vehicles.

2023

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

George �鶹��Ƶ student Ze Li (right) built this autonomous surface water robot from scratch using CAD modeling and 3D printed materials. The robot is seen here in the pond at the Potomac Science Center. Learn more about this project.

2024

Photo provided

From left, computer science PhD student Rezoan Ahmed Nazib, computer science professor Parth Pathak, and computer science PhD student Ahmad Kamari with a rescue robot that can "see" through smoke and fog. Learn more about their work.

Topics

�鶹��Ƶ Spirit

Robots

Starship Robots

Rolling into another year of robot deliveries

Lauren Reuscher — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 17:21:06 +0000

Rolling into another year of robot deliveries Lauren Reuscher Thu, 01/25/2024 - 12:21

�鶹��Ƶ Dining and Starship Technologies, the world’s leading provider of autonomous delivery services, are celebrating five years of autonomous robot deliveries at �鶹��Ƶ.

What did the �鶹��Ƶ Nation order through Starship this past year? How busy were those friendly little robots? Let’s recap the highlights.

Nearly half a million deliveries since launch: 458,846

Miles covered by the fleet since launch: 474,225

Mac and Cheese had a big 2023: it was ordered 3,236 times and took the lead compared to what had been the overall most popular item

Most popular item ordered since launch: The Original Double ‘N Fries from Steak ‘n Shake (15,779 times)

Most popular delivery song: "Barbie World" by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice (played 552 times)

In January 2019, �鶹��Ƶ was the first university in the United States to offer autonomous robot deliveries provided by Starship. �鶹��Ƶ’s initial fleet of 25 robots has grown to 60. In addition, the merchant locations have increased from four to 18.

Starship robots deliver meals, snacks, and beverages to the �鶹��Ƶ community. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“Starship robots are an important part of daily campus life at �鶹��Ƶ,” said Roshonda Alexander, retail general manager at �鶹��Ƶ Dining. “We took a bit of a risk five years ago when we introduced the robots, but we haven’t looked back since. The technology was embraced by our students and faculty as well as our merchants. We’re all about making lives easier for our students. The robots have done that and provided a fun technology that just makes people happy.”

Starship’s robots are now serving more than 1.1 million people across 50 U.S. college campuses, as well as in local neighborhoods in several other countries.

Try Out Starship Yourself!

Download the Starship Food Delivery app today.

Available on both iOS and Android.

More about �鶹��Ƶ Dining

Topics

Campus News

Around �鶹��Ƶ (E-Files)

�鶹��Ƶ Dining

Starship Robots

Around �鶹��Ƶ: Favorite Photos of the Year

Lauren Reuscher — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:27:50 +0000

Around �鶹��Ƶ: Favorite Photos of the Year Lauren Reuscher Thu, 07/27/2023 - 10:27

In This Story

Vicki Kirsch, PhD, MSW, MA

All year long, photographers in �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of University Branding capture the moments that make �鶹��Ƶ All Together Different. We asked our photographers to share their favorite photos from the 2022-23 school year.

As we prepare for a new academic year, let’s look back at these recent memories—skillfully frozen in time for the �鶹��Ƶ vault.

Ron Aira, senior photographer, Creative Services

Weather can disrupt even the best laid plans. But according to Ron Aira, it can also create unexpected opportunities. In Aira’s favorite photos, forces of nature created powerful results. “Without the challenges of the wind and the rain, these shots would never have happened,” Aira said.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Gabriella Grabovska, a first-year student in the Schar School, came to �鶹��Ƶ from war-torn Ukraine. Aira captured her portraits in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“It was very windy—her hair and the flag were flying all over the place,” Aira said. “I decided to go with the wind. I told her to face the wind, think about her country, and let the flag fly, thinking about what it represents to her.” Read more about Grabovska.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

�鶹��Ƶ Day is a day of celebration and fun, but �鶹��Ƶ Day 2023 was also a day of torrential rain. Aira and his equipment were getting soaked. But he watched as �鶹��Ƶ students still enjoyed the day, not letting the rain ruin their experience.

“In the downpour, I saw a moment of peace between this couple under the umbrella,” Aira said. “It was a beautiful moment of quiet serenity, in the middle of the concert and the rain coming in sideways.”

Evan Cantwell, senior photographer, Creative Services

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“Sometimes as a photographer, I get to witness students’ ‘aha’ moments, and it was amazing to see how social work students connected with each other and horses from Project Horse Empowerment Center,” Cantwell said.

Each semester, Associate Professor Vicki Kirsch brings students from her advanced Trauma and Recovery course to the center to learn about the emerging field of equine assisted psychotherapy. Read more about their experiences.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“We were finishing up our lifestyle photo session with students and the Office of International Programs and Services, and this robot beeped by,” Cantwell said. “This photo is also a great representation of how students from so many different countries all went to classes at �鶹��Ƶ’s Fairfax Campus.”

Pumpkinbot, part of the Starship Robot fleet, appears on campus around Halloween. Because he’s somewhat elusive, those who spot him consider themselves lucky. “I’ve heard that if you take a selfie with Pumpkinbot, all your dining wishes come true,” Cantwell said.

Cristian Torres, videographer, Strategic Communications

Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of University Branding

In September 2022, students from the Smithsonian-�鶹��Ƶ School of Conservation‘s Wildlife Ecology and Conservation program tagged monarch butterflies on their journey south to help researchers better understand their grand migration.

“This was a fun day,” Torres said. “We documented one of the different opportunities that students have in the field, capturing monarch butterflies to identify and tag them.” Watch the video.

Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of University Branding

Torres took photos at the Homecoming Tip Off Party in February 2023. “This was my first Homecoming at �鶹��Ƶ,” Torres said. “I found the energy of the students celebrating together exciting. The event was full of happy faces, with everyone rooting for each other in the Lip Sync Battle.” See more photos from Homecoming events.

Topics

Around �鶹��Ƶ (E-Files)

Faculty and Staff News

Campus News

�鶹��Ƶ Day

Homecoming

Smithsonian-�鶹��Ƶ School of Conservation

Starship Robots

Schar School

Social Work

College of Public Health

Robot Love: Celebrating four years of Starship robot deliveries at �鶹��Ƶ

Colleen Rich — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:06:15 +0000

Robot Love: Celebrating four years of Starship robot deliveries at �鶹��Ƶ Colleen Rich Mon, 01/30/2023 - 11:06

It was January 2019 when �鶹��Ƶ became the first college campus in the United States to offer autonomous food delivery through Starship Technologies. Now �鶹��Ƶ and Starship are celebrating four years of autonomous robot deliveries.

The service launched with 25 robots, which was the world’s largest fleet of delivery robots. The fleet has now grown to nearly 60 robots, serving the Fairfax Campus. The robots have delivered more than 333,000 orders and brought national and worldwide attention to �鶹��Ƶ.

Here are some stats about Starship robots at �鶹��Ƶ:

Since launch, more than 335,489 orders have been completed.
More than 17,334 people have placed orders.
�鶹��Ƶ loves Starship robots, but the person with the most orders "really" loves Starship robots, placing 659 orders!
The robots have fueled student studies since 2019 with 39,828 coffees delivered.
Pizza might be the quintessential college food, but the most popular item for the past four years has been Steak ‘N Shake’s The Original Double ‘N Fries (ordered 13,637 times!)
If you’re at Whitetop Hall, you’re likely to spot a robot. This residence hall is the most popular delivery spot on campus.
Breakfast became a popular meal once the robots arrived, but it still can’t beat lunch, which is the most popular delivery meal of the day.
The robots have not only made an impression on campus, but they have a loyal following online too! Everybody wants a selfie with a robot, but Halloween is the prime “selfie season” for these robots thanks to Pumpkinbot!

�鶹��Ƶ junior Madison Bryan-Barnes didn’t realize the robots delivered food when she first saw them on campus. “I always thought they were really cute and was surprised at how fast they moved,” she said. “The first time I ordered Starship I was having a really hard day, and I was grateful that I didn’t have to go anywhere to get my food. I like that �鶹��Ƶ has a way for students to have their food delivered in a timely fashion.”

Pumpkinbot makes Halloween one of the most popular times to snap a selfie with a Starship robot.

Noting Northern Virginia’s changeable weather, the integrative studies major added, “I've definitely used Starship when it’s been super cold or hot!”

“It’s hard to believe that we’ve already been doing deliveries at �鶹��Ƶ for four years,” said Chris Neider, director of business development at Starship Technologies. “The campus community was excited about the technology and the cool factor from the start. We’ve taken what we learned at �鶹��Ƶ and have incorporated those lessons across the U.S. We’re looking forward to the next four years and beyond at �鶹��Ƶ!”

“Starship robots allowed �鶹��Ƶ to bring an innovative, safe, and convenient dining solution to students—which was well-received by the campus community and proved to be extremely helpful during the pandemic,” said Pascal Petter, executive director, auxiliary services, at �鶹��Ƶ. “We celebrate the milestones achieved thus far and look forward to our collaborative work in the future.”

Starship Technologies operates commercially on a daily basis around the world. Its zero-emission robots have made more than four million autonomous deliveries, traveled millions of miles, and make more than 140,000 road crossings every day.

Topics

Try Out Starship Yourself!

Download the Starship Food Delivery app today.

Available on both iOS and Android.

Hungry for More?

A Brief History of George �鶹��Ƶ Robots
September 15, 2025
Rolling into another year of robot deliveries
January 26, 2024
Around �鶹��Ƶ: Favorite Photos of the Year
July 27, 2023
Robot Love: Celebrating four years of Starship robot deliveries at �鶹��Ƶ
January 30, 2023
Delivery robots keep rolling during campus closure
April 8, 2020

Delivery robots keep rolling during campus closure

Colleen Rich — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 19:00:39 +0000

Delivery robots keep rolling during campus closure Colleen Rich Wed, 04/08/2020 - 15:00

The Starship robots are delivering food to the approximately 400 students still living on campus. Photo by Lathan Goumas/Office of Communications and Marketing.

Just about every day, �鶹��Ƶ resident student Clinton Carlson Jr. opens his Eastern Shore Hall door to greet a friend. Their visit is brief, and their sparse conversation one-sided, but they do share a momentary touch before going their separate ways.

With these interactions, Carlson Jr. isn’t violating social distancing norms, he’s following them. His frequent visitor is one of the Starship Robots that deliver food on the Fairfax Campus.

When �鶹��Ƶ became the first university in the country to roll out this new take on meals on wheels in January 2019, the conveyances were regarded as a cool, convenient novelty that drew curious looks and garnered national media coverage. Now they are important contributors to �鶹��Ƶ’s COVID-19 response.

The robots deliver coffee, food and other items from the Northern Neck Starbucks, Wing Zone, convenience store One Stop, and late-night fare from the �鶹��Ƶ Club, to some of the approximately 400 students living in �鶹��Ƶ residence halls, and to faculty and staff whose roles require that they report to campus for work. (Southside is open for students to pick up grab-and-go meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Photo by Lathan Goumas/Office of Communications and Marketing.

“It’s kind of like [the robots] provide a sense of comfort,” said Carlson Jr., 26, who continues to live on campus because of extenuating family circumstances. “Almost a nurturing environment. I know they’re just delivering food, but the feelings of when you see a best friend or something are kind of the same feelings I get. It’s actually coming to help and support me like a friend I haven’t seen in a while.”

The robots greet their recipients with a mechanical, “Hello, here’s your delivery,” and depart with, “Thank you. Have a nice day.” These days, a programmed response from an autonomous vehicle passes for in-person interaction, and yes, the robots are sanitized after each trip.

�鶹��Ƶ dining officials knew the boxy white pedestrians would provide a valuable service during and after a weather event. Pandemic response? Not part of the plan.

“The reality is that without the robots the possibility of us having retail options open at this time with the social distancing and the low customer rate might not otherwise be possible,” said Bridget Bukovich, field marketing specialist for �鶹��Ƶ Dining. “But because we have robots in place we’re able to provide more services than usual.”

You never know when you might need one. Josh Cantor, director of Parking and Transportation, based in the Nottoway Annex, recently placed an order to Starbucks. When the robot arrived with his mocha, Cantor posted a picture to Facebook and deemed the robot an “essential employee.” The trip saved Cantor about 45 minutes—and prevented further wear and tear on a pinched nerve in his back.

“You don’t have to take a break and go somewhere on campus,” Cantor said. “Some of the parking staff can’t really make it somewhere. It’s convenient, and for folks with mobility impairment, it’s a great thing to have.”

With the campus nearly empty, sales are modest. On April 1, Sodexo reported about 12 robot-delivered transactions per day from Starbucks during the 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. window it is open, and about 10 transactions per day from One Stop when it began robot deliveries on March 30.

But for the grateful few on the receiving end, those six wheels rolling up to the building are a welcome sight. Carlson Jr., an integrative studies major with a concentration in personal health and well-being, and executive director of the Resident Student Association, described himself as an intermittent user of the robots before the COVID-19 outbreak. Because of allergies and a slightly compromised immune system, he has to be extra careful about limiting his exposure to the virus.

“I know my risk makes it more kind of real for me,” Carlson Jr. said. “The robots provide a safeguard where I’m not directly having to interact with people but also taking care of myself.”

Topics

Starship Robots

residence halls

coronavirus; COVID-19; News; Editorial

Campus News

Summer Snacks via Starship Deliveries

Lauren Reuscher — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 04:20:00 +0000

Summer Snacks via Starship Deliveries Lauren Reuscher Sun, 07/21/2019 - 00:20

Topics

Faculty/Staff Announcements

Starship Robots

Participate in a Research Study Assessing Starship Delivery Robots

Lauren Reuscher — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 04:23:00 +0000

Participate in a Research Study Assessing Starship Delivery Robots Lauren Reuscher Sun, 04/07/2019 - 00:23

Topics

Faculty/Staff Announcements

Starship Robots