A Suitcase That Follows Its Owner

Decades ago, the Vespa scooter changed the way people drive around cities. Now Piaggio Fast Forward–a division of the Piaggio Group, which developed the Vespa–is trying change the way they walk. Once users don a special belt, the Gita can follow them around, carrying as much as 40 lb. of cargo and using stereoscopic and fish-eye cameras to avoid obstacles. In the future, once Gitas have mapped a route, they may even be able to navigate on their own to, say, deliver goods. “We’re inventing a new form of mobility,” says PFF CEO Jeffrey Schnapp of the Gita, which is slated for commercial release in 2018.