I have to admit, a robot that would help you buy groceries at the supermarket would be awesome. But I think that Robovie II could be even better.
Currently, Robovie is designed to help the elderly complete their shopping rounds. At home, users enter their list into a special mobile device that Robovie senses upon entering the store. Robovie then greets the user and guides him/her through the store helping them find, carry and remember items from their list.
I can’t tell you how many times I have wished that supermarkets had some sort of robot or GPS system that would guide me to wherever the hell they keep their pizza sauce and burrito shells. And carrying my groceries for me—well that’s just a bonus. The whole thing might be even better if the larger carts were equipped with some sort of system like this, instead of a free-standing robot. I would love it even more if it scanned and weighed my purchases and allowed me to swipe a card instead of standing in line at the checkout. [Robot Watch via Pink Tentacle via PopSci]
