Robot Delivering Passengers' Food At Philadelphia International Airport

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia International Airport is using a robot to deliver people their food. The gita is part of robotic food delivery program that was launched by PHL Food & Shops' contactless food ordering program.

credit: Philadelphia International Airport

The pilot began Monday and runs through April.

"Now more than ever we are looking to be forward-thinking and innovative regarding our contactless ordering options," said Megan O'Connell, PHL Food & Shops marketing and customer service manager. "Gita allows our guests to customize their experience by choosing how much or how little human interaction they want when having their food delivered."

The droid can carry up to 40 pounds and features a cargo bin to hold guests' orders. They are able to open the bin and remove the items themselves.

The gita uses Bluetooth to communicate with an AtYourGate team member and uses visual sensors to follow the AtYourGate representative through the airport. The units were developed by Piaggio Fast Forward and have been piloted at several airports across the U.S.

"We think passengers and employees will be pleasantly surprised to see their AtYourGate delivery being handled by a robot," said O'Connell. "At the end of the pilot, we will look at feedback from customers and from the AtYourGate team members working with the gita to better understand how we can utilize Gita in the future."