Meet Gita, your cargo-carrying robot porter

By Nicole DiGiose

Robots have been making their ways into factories, hospitals, and airports, but what would you think if you saw one strolling about on a city street? Yes, we’ve all wished for our own personal robotic assistants, but the closest we’ve come to such a reality are robotic lawn mowers and possible food-delivery bots. Now, thanks to design agency Piaggio Fast Forward, located in Boston, we might not be waiting much longer for this sci-fi-like dream to become a reality.

Called Gita (pronounced “jee-ta”), the agency’s small robotic smart cargo vehicle can be programmed to follow you everywhere, ready to lend a hand when you’ve taken on too much. And although you might not recognize the company Fast Forward, a new branch of the larger Piaggio Group, you’re likely familiar with its most famous product, the Vespa. First sold in 1946, Vespas have a reputation for being sleek and modern. So Gita’s got that going for it.

Piaggio’s decades of design expertise are apparent in the carbon body of each Gita unit. At 26 inches tall, the helpful bot can carry a capacity of 40 pounds and has a maximum speed of 22 mph. It’s equipped with all of this on top of being intelligent enough to move in a mapped environment and learn as it navigates, thanks to an assortment of cameras.

“Gita’s primary navigation system is a pair of stereoscopic cameras mounted on the front and back of the robot, with which it’s constantly performing visual SLAM [simultaneous localization and mapping],” said Tim Smith of Element Public Relations. “This is combined with a wearable device worn by the person that Gita is following. The SLAM on Gita is comparing its SLAM picture with the SLAM that the user is doing, thanks to a stereoscopic camera on the user’s belt.”

According to Smith, the robot’s most important security feature is its friendly, non-threatening appearance. “People will not want to injure Gita in the same way that they wouldn’t want to damage R2-D2 or BB-8.”

Of course, to begin with, Gita has to trail an experienced guide equipped with a wearable: you. According to the company’s website, after it’s learned the ropes, it can be sent off on its own.

A good example of the bot’s use would be this: Picture yourself on a Saturday night. You have some errands to run but want to go out after. Instead of going back home in between, have Gita follow you around during your errands, and afterward, send it on home with your purchases or items and go on with your Saturday.

Better yet, the possibilities are endless. Tenants could sign them out at apartment buildings to go grocery shopping, companies can use them as couriers, and grocery stores can use them for deliveries.

So forget backpacks, handbags, bulky boxes, or even automobiles. Let Gita change how you carry and transport your things. Visit piaggiofastforward.com/gita to stay updated on when the bot will be available to the public in 2019.

All images courtesy of Piaggio Fast Forward.