This Robot Will Carry Your Stuff and Follow You Everywhere Meet Gita, the cargo-carrying robot.

By Rose Leadem

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Gita

Move over, drone makers. This company has created a cargo-carrying robot.

The Italian company behind the Vespa, Piaggio, has recently introduced "Gita," a cargo robot. Designed by Boston-based internal startup Piaggio Fast Forward, its aim is to take the hassle out of lugging heavy items and doing mundane chores such as going to the grocery store.

Related: How Drones Will Change Your Business

Gita is a blue ball-shaped robot that features two wheels, a hard shell and a number of cameras and sensors. A human wears an electronic belt to guide it, but Gita can also roll autonomously in a pre-mapped area. As Gita follows its owner and gains exposure to various environments via its cameras and sensors, it creates a 3-D map of its surroundings using SLAM technology -- Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. The more areas that Gita becomes accustomed to, the better it will be able to navigate on its own.

From going to the airport to grocery shopping, Gita can not only help you transport items but also do smaller, mundane tasks. You can send Gita on missions while you focus on more pressing tasks. Gita is 26 inches in diameter and can carry up to 40 pounds, travel at 22 miles per hour and run for eight hours of continuous use.

Related: This Chinese Robot Parks Your Car for You

In addition, the robot has a feature that lets it park safely outside somewhere, in the event that it's not allowed inside a building. For security purposes, Gita has a fingerprint scanner and a code to both turn it on and open it. "Gita is also covered with cameras and sensors and always knows where it is," Piaggio Fast Forward COO Sasha Hoffman told TechCrunch. "It'd be the dumbest thing in the world to try to steal or break into."

Like many robots today, Gita isn't designed to replace human labor. "The transportation and robotics industries tend to focus on optimizing tasks and displacing labor," said Jeffrey Schnapp, CEO of Piaggio Fast Forward, in a press release. "We are developing products that augment and extend human capabilities, instead of simply seeking to replace them."

Wavy Line
Rose Leadem is a freelance writer for Entrepreneur.com. 

Editor's Pick

A Leader's Most Powerful Tool Is Executive Capital. Here's What It Is — and How to Earn It.
Lock
One Man's Casual Side Hustle Became an International Phenomenon — And It's on Track to See $15 Million in Revenue This Year
Lock
3 Reasons to Keep Posting on LinkedIn, Even If Nobody Is Engaging With You
Why a Strong Chief Financial Officer Is Crucial for Your Franchise — and What to Look for When Hiring One

Related Topics

Starting a Business

5 Tips For Launching a Business While Keeping Your Day Job

Launching a business while holding down a 9-to-5 is no small feat. It's a common path for aspiring entrepreneurs, but it's not without its challenges.

Growing a Business

This Stock Screener is on Sale for Memorial Day

invest while mitigating risk with this top-rated stock screening app.

Business News

The Virgin Islands Want to Serve Elon Musk a Subpoena, But They Can't Find Him

Government officials would like to talk to Tesla's owner as part of an investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Thought Leaders

Jessica Simpson's Billion-Dollar Secret: 'Being Underestimated Is a Superpower'

Building a fashion empire has taught the pop star that when people assume you're clueless, it only gives you more time to prove them wrong.

Business News

Mark Zuckerberg Wins Gold At First Jiu-Jitsu Tournament in California

Last year, Zuckerberg said training helps him "solve whatever problem at work for the day."