This browser does not support the Video element.
Personal robot that follows you around
Personal robot that follows you around
A new type of robot that helps you carry your stuff while also following you around!
You know Vespa for their personal scooters, but now the company is embarking on a new product, a personal robot!
Follow KTLA Tech Reporter Rich DeMuro on Instagram, Facebook, Podcast, Newsletter & Twitter
Recently we tried out the new robot named Gita at Venice Beach. Here’s a fun fact: gita actually means “short trip” in Italian!
Venice Beach is hardly the first place you think of when cutting edge robotics come to mind, but with a long boardwalk it’s the perfect location to test a new type of robot.
Gita basically tags along as you walk around, acting as a helpful hand to hold your stuff!
“We’re not trying to replace jobs that people do, we’re trying to help people be more active and connected to their neighborhoods and do more walking,” said Greg Lynn, CEO and co-founder of Piaggio Fast Forward.
“When you stand in front of it and pair with it, it will dedicatedly follow you and understand other people aren’t you,” explained Lynn.
Its basket can hold about 40 pounds and Gita can go about 20 miles on a charge.
Plus, in the front of Gita there are actually 5 cameras!
To use Gita all you do is stand in front of it, push the large button, and then it’s paired to you so when you walk Gita follows.
Gita is programmed with 13 sounds in all, reminiscent of a modern R2D2!
Gita is pretty loyal, the robot only lost track of me a few times, but overall, it’s fun and easy to see how something like this can unlock cities, making errands more walkable.
“Where people live tends to be less than a mile of where they shop, where their kids go to school. So they could be walking those trips but a lot of people take a car over a gallon of milk,” explained Lynn.
Gita has definite appeal and you can’t use it without everyone watching and wondering what’s going on, but the price might cause the biggest double take, Gita costs $3,250.
Now: Listen to the latest Rich on Tech Podcast, where I talk about the tech stories I think you should know about and answer the questions you send me!