PEPSI IS TESTING SELFDRIVING ROBOTS WHO DELIVER SNACKS

Forget vending machines, PepsiCo is testing a way to bring snacks directly to college students. The chip and beverage maker said it would start making deliveries with self-driving robots this week at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Students will be able to order Baked Lay’s, SunChips or Bubly sparkling water on an app, and then meet the six-wheeled robot at more than 50 locations on campus. Last month, supermarket operator Kroger announced it would start delivering groceries in a driverless vehicle from a store in Scottsdale, Arizona. The robots used at the University of the Pacific will move at speeds of almost 10 kilometres per hour, according to Robby Technologies, which makes the robots. Three workers on the campus will be refilling the robots with food and replacing the batteries with recharged ones. The robots, which weigh 80 pounds and are less than 3 feet tall, drive on their own and stop when someone is in front of them. PepsiCo is testing this way to deliver its snacks because more of its customers want a convenient way to buy them on their phones.