Photo: Jay Willett / WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Just in time for Star Wars Day, a Boston tech company has launched a chirpy, cargo-carrying companion inspired by Grogu's floating pram — and it'll follow you everywhere without being asked twice.
Every beep and flutter from this robot on two giant wheels has personality befitting a droid straight out of a galaxy far, far away.
Piaggio Fast Forward — the Boston-based tech arm of the company behind the classic Vespa scooter — has launched the Grogu GitaMini, a $2,875 cargo-carrying robot inspired by Baby Yoda's iconic floating pram from The Mandalorian. The release landed on Star Wars Day, May 4, and the company leaned into every bit of it.
Disney reached out for PFF last year for a collaboration and provided the droid noises needed for the GitaMini to beep and boop the way Grogu's pram would in the newest Star Wars entry: The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Meredith Wilson, Vice President of Marketing at PFF, says this droid is built different. Press a button and the robot autonomously follows you — no training required — using an array of cameras and sensors to navigate obstacles, pedestrians, and the general chaos of a Boston sidewalk with what the company calls "pedestrian etiquette."
That means it stays a respectful few paces behind you so you won't accidentally kick it, and — perhaps most fittingly for Boston — it will chirp at you if you're not walking fast enough.
Photo: Courtesy of Disney/PFF
Content Marketing Manager Kara Nesse filled in the practical details: the GitaMini holds up to 20 pounds of cargo and runs for seven hours on a single charge, making it a viable companion for grocery runs, commutes, or a day out on the Greenway. The robot's rounded, wide-eyed form factor is a deliberate nod to Grogu's floating hoverpram, designed to feel less like a tool and more like a companion.
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PFF has been quietly building out its robotics division in Boston for years, and the Grogu GitaMini represents the clearest signal yet that the company sees a real consumer market for personal cargo robots — not just industrial ones. With the $2,875 price tag, it's squarely aimed at early adopters and Star Wars fans with disposable income who want their daily errands to feel a little more like the Outer Rim.
The bot is available now through PFF's website.
Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports