A team of engineering students from Monash Connected Autonomous Vehicle is developing an Australian-made robotic food delivery technology named ‘Ari’.
With separate compartments designed for temperature control, the self-driven robot is one metre wide and tall. It has four lockable roller doors and has a larger load capacity than traditional models suited to busy environments such as medical or industrial sites.
As global demand for food delivery increases, the students are aiming for the technology to be supported by a network of advanced sensors for wider coverage.
Future versions of the robot will include autonomous charging, on-demand delivery, and interchangeable compartments to enable delivery of a broader range of items — from tools and hardware to pharmaceuticals and food.
According to one of the student engineers, John Bui, the Australian-made innovation has the potential to be a gamechanger for the future of Australia’s food and beverage industry due to its practical and affordable features.
“We wanted to create something affordable and practical that anyone could use, whether it’s a student on campus, a retailer in a busy shopping centre or a restaurateur,” he said.
“This robot we’ve invented from scratch has brought us a step closer to the future of on-demand food delivery in Australia.
“It’s incredibly low cost and scalable design makes it a realistic solution in the use of highly advanced technology that could transform how restaurants, grocery stores, and local businesses deliver food and other items.”
The students in the project team are Jason Angus, Shray Bagga, Dylan Gonzalez, Linal Wekadapola, and John Bui.