Loomo Mini Transporter Robot Companion You Ride On
Loomo is a pretty cool little robot sidekick, as well as a mini Segway transport device.
(Loomo mini Segway transporter companion)
Loomo description:
Smooth, self balancing transporter powered by Segway
Powerful AI that incorporates Intel RealSense
Auto-follow, video capture, touch, voice, & gesture control
Playful personality and interactivity
Includes free Android SDK and over-the-air updates
Platform designed for endless integration possibilities
Directly access Loomo’s core capabilities to build on top of its mobility + AI platform.
Integrated management of Loomo’s hardware, software, and algorithms.
Control the base assembly and robot head at a proper abstraction level.
Attach additional hardware and physical capabilities to the robot via extension bay on the back.
Build a range of playful features or practical solutions.
I actually think this is pretty cool looking, although I'm not sure if I'm spry enough to manage it. My favorite robotic sidekick you can ride (if that's a category!) in science fiction is Fess, robotic horse and cybernetic companion of Rod Gallowglass in the still-wonderful The Warlock in Spite of Himself, the novel that launched the career of Christopher Stasheff.
Fess was very dutiful. He was also an antique, one of the few remaining FCC (Faithful Cybernetic Companion) robots, early models now two thousand years out of date. The FCC robots had been programmed for extreme loyalty and, as a consequence, had perished in droves while defending their masters during the bloody Interregnum between the collapse of the ancient Galactic Union and the rise of the Proletarian Eclectic State of Terra.
Slowly the [robot] horse raised its head, wiggled its ears, blinked twice, gave a tentative whinny.
"All as it should be," said the voice behind Rod's ear. The horse champed at the bit. "If you'll let me out of this cat's cradle, I'll check the motor circuits."
Rod grinned and freed the webbing. The horse reared up, pawing the air, then sprang into a gallop. Rod watched the robot run, taking a good look at his surroundings in the process.
The robot cantered back toward Rod, reared to a halt before him. Forehooves thudded on the ground; the great indigo eyes turned to look at Rod, the ears pricked forward.
"I'm fit," Fess reported.
Rod grinned again. "No sight like a running horse."
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