Ever since we first saw Star Wars: A New Hope, we’ve
wanted to have our own droid. The only thing that could probably make R2D2
better, however, is if it were possible to ride around on him, too. Well, now
the folks at Segway (yes, the scooter company) are offering just that in their
Loomo rideable robot.
Equal parts personal assistant and self-balancing
scooter, Loomo is equipped with a clever AI that makes it far more than just
another mode of transportation. For instance, it can follow you autonomously
when you’re not riding, can shoot photos or auto-stabilized video, and you can
control it via gestures and/or your voice.
You can even control it with your
smartphone and communicate through the robot. Of course, if you want to hop on,
Loomo has a 20-mile range per charge and can travel up to 11 mph. Preorders are
open now starting at Us$ 1,299.
