Piaggio group had established the Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) to pioneer the sector of smart future mobility of people and goods. PFF builds robots and lightweight transportation solutions that travel behind, beside, and beneath people on the move, and their first project is the GITA (pronounced as jee-ta).

This assisting robot was selected in the 'Robotics' category for its futuristic design innovation, technology, sustainability, creativity, environmental responsibility, state-of-the-art materials, and functionality. It competed amongst hundreds of products from around the world

Gita in Italian means ‘to take a short trip’. In an era where the company is busy making mad machines like the Aprilia and the exquisite Vespa, PFF seeks to promote more vibrant cities filled with pedestrians, cyclists, and skaters whose mobility is enhanced by new varieties of smart vehicles.

GITA is basically a cute little spherical autonomous vehicle that is designed to have enough storage space of 33 liters to carry 40 lbs of your belongings and will follow you around to up to 21 mph. This humble device moves on two wheels and can also move independently in a mapped environments.

It communicates via sound, light and an interactive touchscreen that can make it trace its path followed previously in case you want it to. It can detect and avoid obstacles in its path by creating a 3D map of its surroundings. With a tap, it can also form a convoy with other GITAs’ and do a lot more of just one.

A 360-degree camera and a secure tracking device can let you track its movement live. The beauty of the design allows it to go wherever a wheelchair could possibly navigate, including ADA-compliant ramps, elevators and grocery store aisles. A strong battery life of 8 hours will GITA a nice time with the owner.

The Boston-based PFF is readying the GITA to roll on the streets on a pilot basis and gather more data over the course of the next year and soon enough we will be able to roll our own GITAs’ to come along as a conversation starter and carry our stuff for us.

Smart.

The GOOD DESIGN AWARD is the third distinguished recognition in 2017 for PFF and the GITA. It is the winner at the MITX Awards 2017 in the Disruptive Genius – Company category and it was named as one of the “Top 100 Most Innovative and Disruptive Construction Companies” in the Robotics category by Disruptor Daily.