B.O.S.S. shopping cart follows you around

If you're scouting out colleges to showcase your robot crafting skills, make sure the University of Florida is given some very strong consideration. Fresh off of a second straight victory at the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition, the kids in Gainesville are flaunting another robotic creation that can make shopping a lot easier (and a lot safer). Gregory Garcia, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, developed a shopping cart that not only follows you around the store, but keeps a steady pace while cruising and throws on the brakes before clipping someone's heels. Garcia got the inspiration for the B.O.S.S. (Battery Operated Smart Servant) from his (presumably mischievous) little sister, who enjoyed ramming into his legs as a child while manning the buggy. A number of sensors aid the cart's maneuvering techniques, including a color sensor which allows the shopper to hold a piece of fabric behind them for the B.O.S.S. to keep track of -- it apparently accelerates and decelerates based on the speed and distance of the fabric ahead, and Garcia made quite certain that the shopping cart could stop on a dime in order to prevent those awkward heel injuries. While we're not sure how the cart would perform during the madness of holiday shopping, especially if it tried to follow every white (or green, or red) article of clothing around, but we're sure Gregory had a grand 'ole time finally showing that heel-biting cart who's boss.

[Jason @ Aug 11th 2006 11:00PM]

In true engadget fashion, I apologize for the following, but it must be done.

I for one welcome our autonomous shopping cart overlords.

[Nikolai @ Aug 11th 2006 11:04PM]

Isn't it: I, for one, ....?

I think this is a great idea though there are ah... a number of improvements necessary before it can be used by everyone. Maybe it could follow a signal rather than some clothing...

[Fred @ Aug 11th 2006 11:18PM]

Please explain me how can robotic shopping carts ever become our overlords??
Some new huge walking robot I can understand, but a shopping cart doesn't deserve the "i for one" remarks.

[Benny @ Aug 12th 2006 2:06AM]

Heh. I was actually trying to study for my behavioral analysis class while these guys (it seemed to be a final project for a class) were playing with their robots. There was also this automatic blimp thing, a robot that shot ping-pong balls onto a target, and some weird moving fridge with dreads on it. Needless to say, the definition of "establishing operations" escaped me that day. Go Gators!

[antiver @ Aug 12th 2006 2:08AM]

It could follow a (bluetooth, perhaps) signal from your cell phone...

[Chris @ Aug 12th 2006 2:08AM]

fred: yeah, we'll see how you feel when it runs off with your eggo's and beer!

[Tim G. @ Aug 12th 2006 2:48AM]

This is a really old idea. I remember as a young kid growing up in the mid/late 70's my parents watching "The Price is Right" and they had golf carts that you would put your bag in and then you would walk the course and it would never be more than n feet behind you. Had a button that you pressed so that it would not follow you up on the green.

/tg

[paolo @ Aug 12th 2006 2:49AM]

another gadget to make more americans FAT.

[poser @ Aug 12th 2006 3:20AM]

This ought to put a smirk on homeless lady's face.

[Jon Gray @ Aug 12th 2006 3:45AM]

I was pushing a shopping trolley (cart) yesterday - I didn't find it taxing enough to feel the need for a (probably) slow robotized version. (Sometimes we don't need everything to be robotic!)

[Jeremy @ Aug 12th 2006 9:34AM]

I was in that guys class. He made one of the better robots. Here's a list of all of them:

http://www.mil.ufl.edu/imdl/D-Day_schedule_u06.htm

Here's mine:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/greenee/

It was a really great learning experience. Go Gators!

[navamske @ Aug 12th 2006 9:45AM]

If it can be configured to rear-end the oblivious cell-phone moron who's blocking the aisle, I'm sold.

[David @ Aug 12th 2006 10:31AM]

I was sitting in those chairs along the left wall waiting for class to begin. . . shame I wasn't in the photo. There were many other cool gadgets on display. . . it attracted lots of attention, but I never expected to see it at Engadget. . .

[Christopher @ Aug 12th 2006 10:33AM]

How much more energy can we waste? We deserve the energy crisis, it wouldn't be happening if Americans were more careful with their energy usage. Here the few calories we would use to push a basket are now going to be supplied by the electric grid. I wouldn't give a damn, except innocent people, children are DYING in the middle east because we waste energy. Has no one a conscience in this country?

[n2 @ Aug 12th 2006 11:22AM]

Too many obsticles to navigate. You not only have to worry about yourself, but also others. You have to worry about objects in the path (a favorite of grocery stores now-a-days.... cram as many items in the isle paths) and you have to worry about other carts. And don't even get me started when you leave the store... then you have cars, sidewalks, vegitation, animals, etc to worry about

Good luck with this one! I just don't see this happening anytime soon.

[Perrey Z. @ Aug 12th 2006 12:50PM]

Seems like the guy is asking this thing to Stop following him.

Another thing., How in the hell is this going to be a shopping cart if the damn notebook is already in the basket?!

[thedvs01 @ Aug 12th 2006 1:56PM]

I live in Gainesville - Big ups.

[Auctioneer @ Aug 13th 2006 9:35AM]

I think this is great it resemble the online shopping cart in that it follows you around till check out. This is one rare example where the offine world is emulating the online one.

[gmanNYC @ Aug 13th 2006 11:36AM]

It would never fly. Supermarkets will not shell out the cost for lazy people. Can u imagine the cost per cart.

[...Jan Medi... @ Aug 14th 2006 12:53AM]

There's a lot of problems with that.
Let's say a child sits in it. The mom is wearing an orange shirt. When she's not looking, a pedophile wearing the same shirt walks by. Would the cart follow?
Then there's cost. I see current carts having brakes. But poor people can go around that for a souped up shopping cart.

[webdog @ Aug 14th 2006 10:50AM]

Oh yeah, I can see it now. The grocery chains will cover the cost of the cart by having it make verbal "suggestions" as it passes certain special products (special in that the makers have paid mass dollars).

"Excuse me sir or madam, but you might be interested to know that Kellogg's Corn Flakes are proven to help reduce cholesterol..."

Or better yet, the cart will be set up in conjunction with special robotic shelves that will "accidentally" push a product off the edge into your cart as you pass by.

[Cman @ Aug 14th 2006 12:27PM]

I have an automatic shopping cart driver already ... a wife.

[Andrew @ Aug 15th 2006 11:39AM]

"How much more energy can we waste? We deserve the energy crisis, it wouldn't be happening if Americans were more careful with their energy usage. Here the few calories we would use to push a basket are now going to be supplied by the electric grid. I wouldn't give a damn, except innocent people, children are DYING in the middle east because we waste energy. Has no one a conscience in this country?"


Oh please wont someone please think of the children!

I'm sure this idea has practical applications outside of the grocery store like the factory floor where people aren't strong enough to push the cart.

[Zeus40 @ Aug 17th 2006 4:58PM]

1. I for one have issues of grabbing ahold of the same handle that some mother's hands just finished changing her kids diapers or wiping their kids nose.

2. As far as the potential danger of the cart injuring or stealing a child. A shopping cart should not be the location for a child to sit in the first place. This is the perfect example of goal multiplication. Goal is to shop for food and put food in cart. "Hey, lets put kids in 'em too."... "Great idea!"..."Hey, do you think they should have soda fountains also?"... "hmm... Fund it!"

3. Following around by clothing composition is crazy talk. Shopping cart should follow around based upon flatulence emmission content detection. I for one enjoy farting in an aisle, and then looking at the facial expressions of my intended "victim".

[Zeus40 @ Aug 17th 2006 5:01PM]

Nice! This is going to empower "Charles" our neighborhood urban adventurer to have a segway-like home for himself.