In a world where corporations are testing and taking advantage of flying drones to make deliveries quicker and convenient, this technology essentially leaves out the individual who needs help carrying their cargo or groceries. For those who don’t have a car and need to walk to the store, it is difficult to take all of those items back to their home without dropping and breaking anything. It would be great to have a flying drone that could whizz your items back to your apartment, but they can’t carry too much nor would it be legal or safe for everyone to have them zipping through the city.

A company from Italy, Vespa, may have the answer. They are developing a personal cargo carrying drone that rolls on the ground and follows the individual around. It is capable of carrying 40 lbs. of weight and is perfect for a trip to the grocery store. It is named Gita which means “short trip” it stands 66 cm tall and will come with optional neon lighting. It can move by itself in a certain environment and has obstacle avoidance technology to ensure a smooth ride. This robotic wonder will be an unquestionably handy device for all of its human masters.

In conjunction with Vespa, in Boston, (the company structure is a bit complicated) Piaggio Fast Forward, the Gita’s creator, states concerning its design, “Gita: a smart, nimble, cargo vehicle designed and engineered with the same attention to safety, braking, balancing, vehicle dynamics and performance that you would expect of a motorcycle or car.” It is due to be revealed in a presentation on February 2, 2017, at which time they will announce pricing and timing for consumer purchase. This device may be the answer for little old ladies and Millennials alike, with a market that would thrive in cities and smaller communities. It may also be the perfect companion for the college student who rather than carry around an oversized and cumbersome backpack can just place all of their books and a few other snacks and devices in this diminutive robo-barrel or “robarrel” for short.