Today, UW announced the formal launch of its robotic dining hall delivery program, serving every Lakeshore kid who just doesn’t have the motivation to walk to Four Lakes Market for a good stir fry.
Of course, despite the fact these robots are autonomous, the robots aren’t perfect. They are adherents to the doctrine of Hannah Montana.
In order to compensate for their mistakes, Starship Technologies is hiring “Robot Operators” to make sure deliveries make their way to the dorms (and the Nat if you need a burrito after your workout).
Some highlights of the job include
- Watching the robots from a nice, cozy office
- Be a crossing guard for wayward robots
- Staying calm while saying “Yeah, I work in robots”
While this job seems cool, it misses key aspects in human-robot interactions. For example, networking opportunities with R2-D2 and C-3PO are not included in the benefits of the job, and learning how to create serious close friendships with these tiny robotic buddies still is missing.
Still, asserting your power now over these robots assures that when they inevitably take over campus, you will at least get to keep the lease you just rushed into a negotiation for without fear of a robot taking your bed.
So remember, these robots aren’t our overlords, you can be their overlord.
