FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City has partnered with Starship Technologies to allow restaurants and stores to use the company’s sidewalk robots for deliveries in a one-square-mile area of the city during the coronavirus crisis. Starting Friday, a number of central Fairfax City businesses will begin sending food and groceries to customers using Starship robots.
Starship’s fleet of 20 autonomous on-demand robots will deliver daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Fairfax City Economic Development Authority has provided a $10,000 support incentive to help lower the average delivery fee charged by Starship to each participating business. The delivery fee for customers will be $2.99.
The service will continue through the coronavirus crisis, and the city will evaluate whether to continue the program after emergency declarations are lifted.
“Starship is an important addition to the city during this time of crisis. It’s an innovative new business that helps directly connect city businesses with city residents while maintaining safe social distancing,” Christopher Bruno, director of the Fairfax City Economic Development Office, said in a statement. “I applaud businesses like Starship for helping to push the local economy forward while fostering innovation — something we strive for here in Fairfax City.”
Residents can download the Starship-Food Delivery app on their Android or Apple device, confirm their address is in the delivery zone, and choose from the current list of participating businesses. Addresses within in the delivery zone have received flyers explaining how the service works and which businesses are included.
Participating restaurants include Havabite Eatery, Coyote Grille, Hamrock’s Restaurant, The Wine House, High Side, and Essential Groceries.
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The delivery area is bordered by Roberts Road to the east, Chestnut Street to the west, George Mason University to the south and Fairfax Blvd. to the north.
In early 2019, George Mason University became the first university in the country to launch food and beverage delivery using a fleet of the autonomous robots from Starship. Three years ago, a food delivery service rolled out a fleet of Starship delivery robots in D.C.
Starship also operates its delivery robots in Tempe, Arizona and Mountain View and Irvine, California. In England, the company operates in the city of Milton Keynes, where robots have been delivering food and groceries to local residents since 2018.
Starship has more than tripled its robot delivery fleet in the past year, with hundreds of robots now in operation.
“Fairfax City officials reached out to us as a way to help connect their residents with local businesses in theseunprecedented times,” Ryan Tuohy, senior vice president of business development at Starship Technologies, said Friday in a statement. “There is huge demand for contactless delivery now and our robots are an ideal way for residents to get what they want deliveredto their door while supporting local businesses.”
In Fairfax City, after each delivery, the robots get wiped down to avoid spreading the coronavirus. After placing an order using the Starship Delivery app, delivery time will range between 15 and 45 minutes in Fairfax City. Each robot can carry up to 20 pounds, the equivalent of about three shopping bags of goods. If groceries cannot fit inside one robot, two robots will be sent to carry the entire order.
The robots are outfitted with multiple cameras, two-way audio to communicate with people they interact with, and can navigate hurdles like curbs. They are monitored by humans who can take control at any time. Customers can follow the robot’s progress on a map. Once the robot arrives, the customer receives an alert, and can then meet and unlock it through the app. No tips are required or expected.
Customers will find a list of participating businesses in the app. If a business is not on the list, customers are encouraged to contact them and encourage them to join the service.
“We want this to benefit both our residents and businesses,” Bruno said. “Both populations are vulnerable in very different ways, and both need assistance from each other. Together, we can weather this unprecedented event and support each other as best we can. That’s what makes Fairfax City strong.”
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