Video: RoboStool follows you around, never leaves you sans a seat
By Darren Murph 
posted August 2nd 2008 2:52PM
posted August 2nd 2008 2:52PM
posted August 2nd 2008 2:52PM
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The idea of a robot following you around is a breakthrough - it might make robots mainstream. I can think of so many useful applications for this.
First up: Luggage that follows me around. Remember that utterly useless motor powered luggage covered on these pages a while ago? Well - if it followed me around automatically, it would be a whole different story. Of course a thermal sensor isn't enough - it would have to be tuned to its master. Perhaps a little RFID tag on my keychain.
The following seat is awesome too though. Sure the current version is pretty crude, but the idea is there.
Come on, so you'd let your luggage follow you around in an airport. The place they strip search you if you leave a bag unattended and you want to let your Samsonite walk itself.
Exactly what I was thinking. If they could figure a way to have this thing go up and down stairs it'd be awesome for mall shopping. have it auto load itself into a car and call it a "shoppers husband".
I NEED this technology purchasable immediately... worst-case by Preakness next summer. I can't even begin to assign a level of awesomeness to the idea of my wheeled kegerator effortlessly following my drunk ass around infield.
Hmm, my own personal stalker. hawttttt
^.^ If only it was a cooler. That would be great!
IN SOVIET RUSSIA YOU FOLLOW CHAIR!
Stool from the year 2030.
Zebra print lounge chair from 1973.
They should make a RoboStoolSample version for hospitals that follows around patients, waiting to collect a specimen.
Oh my god is it really worth walking that slow to have it follow you to a chair? I mean he had to bend over to activate "follow me" mode, novel idea here : pick it up. Five seconds and four feet later: put it down.
Other than that, love it.
Actually, I think it is worth it. A practical application for this robotic stool would be for older people who carry light, collapsible chairs for things like waiting in line to begin with. This would free up their hands, and it would be able to keep up with most people who have back problems and walk slowly as a result of this anyway.
Fascinating, but loud!
Hey, this technology could be adapted to the rack of trays that follows the airhostess on an aircraft, eliminating the need for them to push / pull and hence keeping their hands free all the while to serve passengers!
A further improvisation would help the device retrace its steps and stow itself at the docking station at the press of a button, when the hostess is done...
(Why, I thought some versions of Roomba already did automatically dock themselves... ?)
The possibilities are limitless... A stool is probably the most useless of all applications. :D
Or they can just use the cart's brakes and then serve the people.
Yeah as if these people aren't on the knife-edge of feeling useless already.
so you have to walk like a pregnant lady or that thing will not be able to follow, lol. This is pointless, if you find that you need to have a stool to sit on every time you go for a walk you probably need to lose weight.
Could be handy as a following toolbox on larger area places where they use tools, like say an airport hangar and such.
Or for the feeble that need a walker for long distances but want to be able to not use it as much as possible to keep musculature going somewhat but need it near for fall-back.
Or as an annoying bomb that you set on US soldiers as an insurgent, it'll slowly follow the target freaking him out >:P
Or to hold your drugs-stash or gun collection and claim it wasn't legally in your possession during arrest ;)
Or for gates to carry his sacks of gold around.
Or if you make bigger wheels to carry your stuff like towels and parasol and and piña colada while you walk the beach on a hot day.
sweet! now it makes it easier to vacumm since it can easily move out of the way
reminds me of the stools that the technicians used in the Heinlein short "The Roads Must Roll". They had devices similar in function and description to traverse the underneath to service the roads and rollers. Except they were probably smaller and a lot faster than these here.
wow. i thought videos always made things look cooler. i was wrong.