Provo, Utah, Brigham Young University – A unique food delivery robot is on campus at BYU. The robot is a collaboration between Prof. Benjamin Terry of BYU and a robotics startup called CAYTU. The unique twist to these robots is that they will be controlled by operators sitting in a country far away on the continent of Africa. CAYTU Robotics, based in Dakar, Senegal, is a startup founded by a team of African engineers which is using cutting-edge technology to enable remote control of robots from anywhere in the world.
The launch of CAYTU‘s delivery pilot with BYU is a significant milestone for the startup. The robots will be used to deliver food from various campus dining locations directly to students and staff. The service is expected to be highly popular, especially during peak mealtimes when students wish to avoid the busy dining experience. In the first phase of the rollout, a selected beta group of students will be able to place their orders through the CAYTU app, and have their food delivered by the robots.
“One of the most exciting aspects of CAYTU‘s technology is its ability to enable remote control of robots from literally anywhere in the world” explains Sidy Ndao, CAYTU co-founder and CEO. The operators who will control the robots at BYU are based in Dakar, Senegal, a country that has had a resurgence in the development of high tech startups in recent years. The operators use advanced software and control systems to guide the robots through the campus, avoiding obstacles and ensuring timely and efficient delivery of food.
Prof. Terry’s involvement in the project brings an added layer of academic value to the launch. As a robotics professor, Prof. Terry is using the data collected from the robots’ delivery operations to better understand human-robot interactions. By studying how the robots navigate the campus, interact with students and staff, and perform their delivery tasks, Prof. Terry and his team seek to gain valuable insights into the design and functionality of autonomous robots.
