As you mosey your way onto campus, you might notice mechanical Starship marvels rolling down the road. Dubbed ‘Tobor’s by UTD students – “robot” spelled backward – these little wonders deliver food, drinks and joy to the UTD community.
Tobors can deliver from Taco Bell and UTD’s The Pub for the Summer 2021 Term as well as Papa John’s Pizza, American Tap Room, Dining Hall West Market, and Panda Express for the Fall 2021 Term. Restaurants on campus such as Halal Shack and Einstein Bros. Bagels that closed because of COVID-19 may be available for delivery when campus returns to in-person operations. Tobors can deliver to any area on campus, Northside apartments and Synergy Park and are available for delivery any time of the day, so long as the place you’re ordering from is open.
So how exactly can you use Tobors for food delivery?
1) Download the Starship Deliveries app (available on iOS and Android) and select UTD as your campus.
2) Set a delivery point: Enter the building or address you’re seeking delivery to in the search bar or drop-and-pin a location on the app’s map. Keep in mind that the address you enter is only for reference – the Tobor will deliver as close as they can to your building.
3) Decide on a restaurant and what to eat: You can order multiple items from the same restaurant (as long as they don’t exceed 20 pounds), but for time efficiency’s sake, you can’t order from multiple different restaurants in the same delivery. For example, if you wanted a taco from Taco Bell and a burger from The Pub, you would need to make two separate orders because your items come from two different dining services.
4) Place your order: Enter your phone number and then pay for the order and the $1.99 delivery fee through your credit or debit card. You’re can also pay through your Comet Card with Comet Cash if you order from Taco Bell.
5) Track your Tobor: You can track your Tobor’s location in real time through the Starship Deliveries map as you wait for your delivery.
6) Meet your Tobor & accept its delivery: Once your Tobor arrives at the desired destination, the Starship Deliveries app will send you a notification. Make sure to bring your phone with you when you go outside to meet your Tobor – you will need it to unlock the Tobor’s top hatch and receive your delivery!
7) Appreciate your Tobor: Before departing off to its next delivery, your Tobor may thank you. Thank it back!
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