Residents and guests at a remote mining village in Western Australia’s Pilbara region may soon be served by a new apprentice – an Ottobot robot delivering food and other items directly to their accommodations.

Rio Tinto wanted to reduce the number of support staffers onsite while improving overhead and logistics. Sodexo Australia, which has 5,000 employees across more than 100 sites, plans to trial the system at the mining company’s Gudai-Darri village, north-east of Newman in Pilbara.

The residents live in a secluded village while working at the mining site. Food service for the residents is provided onsite by Sodexo, including several restaurants and a general store.

On-site delivery for mining village residents

Mine employees are categorized as “fly in, fly out” (FIFO), meaning that they can only bring their personal possessions that fit in their luggage. The site is remote, hundreds of kilometers from the nearest city, so the onsite facilities are their only option.

Workers can relax in their rooms or in the central recreation facilities on-site, and they can order snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, meals, and other essentials from the My Village app on their phones.

The items are then loaded into the Ottonomy robot’s insulated compartment by Sodexo staff, ready for delivery. When the robot arrives, residents receive a text message with a unique PIN code, allowing them to unlock the robot’s compartment and collect their orders.

Rapid advances in robotics technology have provided new opportunities to build on the resident experience at such mining camps, said Adrian Lorenzin, senior director for tech, supply, and services at Sodexo Australia.

“FIFO workers spend extended periods away from home and work long shifts,” he said. “Sodexo’s focus is on enhancing the hospitality experience for residents so they can enjoy some of the conveniences they would have at home. That means making it as quick and easy as possible to order a snack and have it delivered straight to their accommodation.”

“As autonomous robotics delivery becomes more common in our cities, for example, in restaurants and parcel delivery, there is great potential to use the same technology in remote mining villages, giving residents more choice and flexibility,” Lorenzin added.

Ottobot designed for safe interaction

Ottonomy Inc.  developed the delivery robots. They operate fully autonomously, safely navigating pre-mapped, geo-fenced routes within the village at walking speed. Ottobot is designed to give the right of way to people, vehicles, and other obstacles.

The project, which builds on Sodexo’s autonomous retail store launched in January 2025 at the same location, is delivered in partnership with Ottonomy and key brand partners, including Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Mars, and Smiths Chips. The robot features their products alongside regular village menu offerings.

“Coca-Cola is synonymous with refreshment and innovation,” said a Coca-Cola spokesperson. “Partnering with Sodexo showcases how great brands and technology can redefine convenience for resource workers.”

“We have engaged with Sodexo on a global scale for the past few years, and autonomous robots like our Ottobots are uniquely suited to challenging environments such as mining,” said Ritukar Vijay, CEO of Ottonomy. “Our core technology aligns seamlessly with the vision of enabling hyperlocal deliveries, and this marks an exciting beginning for us as we enter the Australian market.”

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Ottonomy recently released its Ottumn.AI solution to improve the functionality of orchestrating an Ottobot fleet. The platform features a multi‑layer architecture that unifies edge intelligence, infrastructure control, and cloud orchestration. The company was an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award winner in 2023.

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