Bikes

Piaggio Gita, An Autonomous Two-Wheeler for the Future

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When you think of the Piaggio Group, in terms of its two-wheeled creations, your thoughts probably conjure up images of motorcycles made by Aprilia or Moto Guzzi, or maybe a scooter with a Vespa badge on it.

Surely, the Gita is not what first comes first to your mind, but it might be the most impactful idea from the Italian brand to-date.

Sure, the brightly colored self-balancing rolling cylinder doesn’t seem like much of a novel creation, even with its ability to follow its owner, or autonomously navigate a prescribed route. But then again, you have probably been carrying stuff around in our arms, or on your back, like a big sucker.

Capable of hauling 40 lbs in what looks like a sizable bin, the Piaggio Gita has huge implications for the disabled or elderly, but it also could change the way the status quo carries and transports things in the future.

The killer app here is the Gita’s autonomous sensors and software, which not only can recognize a user and follow them down the street or through a store, but the Gita can also go from Point A to Point B all by itself.

This can change the way a number of things get delivered (think about how you get your mail and packages, or even how your pizza gets delivered). With a top speed of 35 km/h (21 mph), the Piaggio Gita isn’t blindingly fast, but it’s not slow either. Heck, it could keep up with most cyclists.

We have seen other brands thinking about how autonomous vehicles and drones can solve basic tasks in everyday life, and it is not hard then to connect the dots, as Piaggio has done here with the Gita.

Now, a cold beer is never more than an arms length away – think about that.

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