Grocery-carrying robots are coming. Do we need them?

A cargo-carrying robot called the Gita sits near a waterfront park in Boston. A subsidiary of Italian automaker Piaggio designed the machine to follow its owner carrying groceries and other items. — Photos: AP

BOSTON: The first cargo-carrying robot marketed directly to consumers is on sale this holiday season. But how many people are ready to ditch their second car to buy a two-wheeled rover that can follow them around like a dog?

Corporate giants like Amazon, FedEx and Ford have already been experimenting with sending delivery robots to doorsteps. Now Piaggio, the Italian company that makes the Vespa scooter, is offering a stylish alternative to those blandly utilitarian machines – albeit one that weighs 50 pounds (23 kilogrammes) and costs US$3,250 (RM13,564).