Piaggio Fast Forward and the Gita

Piaggio Fast Forward and the Gita

Sometimes we know what we’re shaping – a boat deck, a big surfboard, a massive wind turbine blade – and sometimes we don’t. Normally, when that is the case, it’s because of confidentiality issues. But when Piaggio Fast Forward contacted us about an autonomous “intelligent and nimble cargo vehicle“, it was just because no one knew what this thing was.

Piaggio Fast Forward is an arm of the Piaggio Group, Europe’s largest manufacturer of two-wheeled vehicles. They set up shop just outside of Boston, and got to work on ” pioneering the intelligent movement of people and goods at just the right scale: larger than aerial drones but smaller than cars and trucks.” The team came to Symmetrix with some videos, a few ideas, and some drawings. They asked for a direct to mold with limited use to use for their prototyping. Over the next few months, with the support of our friends at Leading Edge Composites, Symmetrix provided the tools needed for Piaggio to create their self-driving suitcase prototype.

The buzz has been exciting around this innovative technology – from Wired to The Economist to the Wall Street Journal. Future plans include commercial production and a new, slightly larger sibling for the Gita – the Kilo. We wish them the best of luck as they work towards their autonomous cargo vehicle.

 

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