We covered quite a few personalassistantrobots from Japan in the past, but none of them were labeled as “personal porters”. But now Professor Gen Endo from the Tokyo Institute of Technology has built a unique prototype of a robot that follows the owner around and can carry stuff for them, too.
Owners simply pull the robot with the help of a cord, and the self-propelled, battery-powered robot follows them everywhere. Thanks to a set of 4 wheels (and much like a space exploration rover), the robot can overcome most obstacles in a pedestrian environment. In its current form, the little guy can run for 2,5 hours (5km) on a single charge.
Professor Endo says a more refined version could one day help the elderly or people having to rely on oxygen therapy (see above).
This video, shot by Diginfo TV in Tokyo, provides more insight:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfLeCE85rwE&w=560&h=315]
