Piaggio Gitamini Is a Cute, Small Cargo Robot That Will Walk With You

Piaggio Fast Forward, or PFF for short, is a subsidiary of the iconic Italian motor vehicle maker. The Gita bot was introduced in 2019 and, it seems, has proved successful enough to warrant a mini version that would make it appealing to a wider range of customers. Gitamini has a smaller form factor and a smaller cargo area, as its name clearly implies, but it also has a longer range, which makes it better.

The Gitamini is also incredibly cute, which almost compensates for the fact that you have a robot following you around.

Compact and lightweight, the Gitamini is no bigger than a medium-sized dog, PFF says. It has a 20-pound (9-kg) cargo area and a 21-mile (34-km) range, which means it’s perfect to carry your stuff to and from work, to the beach, or even back home from some light grocery shopping. For even more convenience, Gitamini can roll with the lid to the cargo bay open and comes with a USB port to charge your other devices from the battery.

Speaking of rolling, PFF says Gitamini will follow the owner closely, matching its pace to him or her. Once paired with a smartphone, it will use its array of sensors and cameras to calculate speed and pick up the pace when needed or brake when the owner stops. With the follow mode disabled, Gitamini can be left outside for brief periods: PFF says that they’ve heard of no cases of cargo bot thefts. Gitamini doesn’t have actual anti-theft features.

The cargo bot weighs 28 pounds (12.7 kg), which means it can easily be lifted in and out of the car, or up the steps, using the integrated handles. Its compact form allows for easy storage around the house; it also takes up little space on the pavement when it follows you around.

The Gitamini will become available for sale on October 15 for $1,850. Carrying your own stuff is less expensive (unless you use designer bags to do it), but it’s also probably less fun.