Oregon State University warned students Tuesday that its campus’ food delivery robots may very well be carrying explosives after a prankster activated a false bomb threat.
“Don’t open robots. Avoid all robots until further notice. Public Safety is responding,” the university said in an alert just before 12:30 p.m. local time.
OSU received a tip that an improvised explosive device could be placed in one in all the varsity’s Starship food delivery robots on its Corvallis campus, positioned 80 miles southwest of Portland.
Security quickly rounded up the campus’ 75 robots in an isolated location on its Corvallis campus, positioned 80 miles southwest of Portland. for further investigation.
“Robots are being investigated by technician,” OSU said in a follow-up alert.
The college lifted the emergency order after an hour when a student got here clean and admitted the entire thing was a hoax.
San Francisco-based Starship Technologies, which makes the robots, said OSU sent a bomb threat over social media that involved the campus robots.
“While the scholar has subsequently stated this can be a joke and a prank, Starship suspended the service,” the corporate said in a press release, adding that it could resume later in the day.
The scholar was arrested by the university’s Department of Public Safety.
Representatives for the varsity said they might proceed investigating the validity of the bomb threat in spite of the scholar’s admission.
“The OSU Department of Public Safety is following protocols for this evolving situation to guard the security and security of OSU’s students, staff and visitors, which is our top priority,” Rob Odom, vp of university relations and marketing, said in an email.
The fleet of unmanned androids uses GPS technology to wheel across the 500-acre Corvallis campus to deliver food to students and staff who order through the Starship app
The college introduced the six-wheeled white bots in 2020, making it the primary campus in the state to have autonomous delivery robots.