Oct. 22—As Indiana State University graduate student Allison Lehman walked across campus Thursday, she did a double take when seeing a small, moving robot accompanied by two people.

She immediately recognized its purpose — future automated food delivery at ISU. The robots, made by a company called Kiwibot, are still in testing and preparation mode on campus.

Lehman had seen similar food delivery robots at another Hoosier university.

"I've been to Purdue's campus and seen theirs (made by a different company, Starship Technologies), and so immediately I was like, oh the cute little food delivery robots," she said.

At one point, one of the individuals accompanying the robot walked directly in front of it "to make sure it braked," Lehman said, and it did.

Having the Kiwibots on campus "is cool. I'm sure people will use it for the sake of convenience, but also so they'll be able to say a robot delivered their food," Lehman said.

The robots are not yet in use. They are "mapping" the campus as part of an automated food delivery system planned for launch at a date to be determined, according to ISU Today.

"Consider them automated offspring of a company called Kiwibots," the article states.

Two of the robots will be in the Blue & White Homecoming Parade on Saturday.

Through the new mobile app "Everyday," students, faculty and staff will be able to place an order and a robot will deliver to the selected drop-off location on campus.

Users receive a unique link to track the order, follow the robot's location in real time and open the lid to get their meal. Eventually, 15 robots will operate at ISU.

Human supervisors are on watch for assistance.

The food delivery robots are being brought to campus through a partnership between Kiwibot and Sodexo, which provides dining services at ISU.

"We are planning a Kiwibot naming contest and launch in the next few weeks," said Dana Babel, resident district manager for Sodexo at ISU.

Kiwibot uses advanced technology and a semi-autonomous driving system. The robots create a virtual visualization in real-time, using high-tech sensors, reflective flags and night lights.

Deliveries involve zero-carbon emissions by the all-electric robots.

According to a company fact sheet, the Kiwibots run at the same speed as a human walking pace.

They are able to stay centered on the sidewalk without human assistance, called C2C (Corner to Corner), and their perception software "is designed and programmed to ensure pedestrians' safety."

Kiwibot, a robotic sidewalk delivery startup, was founded by Colombian entrepreneurs Felipe Chávez and Sergio Pachón in 2017.

It operates on more than 25 campuses around the United States, the company says.

Michele Soliz, ISU vice president for student affairs, said of the new campus service, "We're really excited to have our students more engaged in technology and innovation. It's happening at other campuses, and we're excited to bring them here."

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue