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).

Subscribe or renew your subscriptions to win prizes worth up to RM68,000!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
   

Next In Tech News

Is Outlook down? Thousands of Microsoft 365 users report outage issues
Nintendo’s new Pok�mon game has stronger debut than ‘Pok�mon Go’
Japan competition authorities raid Amazon Japan, source says
Apple’s Cook joins CEO summit with Chinese premier on trade
Google, Meta urge Australia to delay bill on social media ban for children
Qualcomm's interest in acquiring Intel has cooled, Bloomberg News reports
OpenAI could launch its own AI-powered web browser
Brazil antitrust body rules Apple must lift restrictions on in-app payments
Researchers: Wildlife monitoring tech used to harass, spy on women in India
Zoom raises annual revenue and profit forecasts, expands share repurchase

Others Also Read