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Storage robot from Vespa makers offers new way to keep track of our stuff

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Here come more personal robots

At this year’s tech bonanza, CES, in Las Vegas, one thing rang clear: Companies are going to try and make robots happen. And a new product, from the Piaggio Group—the makers of Vespa scooters—is jumping into that fray.

Gita (that’s "jee-ta") was launched under the company’s research and innovation branch, Piaggio Fast Forward. It’s essentially a blue drum with wheels for sides, with a top-loading, laundry-machine-like lid for stashing goods.

Clocking in at 25 inches tall and with a nearly 40-pound carrying capacity, Gita can navigate autonomously in any environment it has previously digitally "mapped": your home, street, or neighborhood—at speeds up to 35 kilometers, or about 21 miles, per hour. The company claims Gita has the "safety, braking, balancing, and vehicle dynamics" of a "high-performance motorcycle."

This is far from the first time this year we’ve reported on the personal robot trend: From the smart (and adorable) robot home assistant Kuri, to the turn-your-kid-into-a-coder system showcased by the folks at Lego, and offerings from LG and Chinese company Baidu, ‘bots were very much present at this year’s tech bonanza, CES, which took over Las Vegas in early January.

Gita will debut in Boston on Thursday, February 2. No word yet on how much it will cost, but we will keep you updated.

Read more about Gita over at the Piaggio Group’s official site and watch a quick video about the ‘bot up top.