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Shadow Caddy Robot Is Golfer's Dream Bot
The Shadow Caddy robot is a remarkably simple technological answer to hauling your golf stuff for eighteen holes.
The Shadow Caddy is operated using a transmitter; once you start it up, the robot will follow you as long as you have the transmitter on your person.
Shadow Caddy has an infra-red collision-avoidance system to keep from running into you or other golfers. Apparently, it can also avoid such unfortunate mishaps as falling into a water hazard or sand trap. Take a look at the Shadow Caddy video below, and judge for yourself.
(Shadow Caddy video)
Human caddies had better watch out; the Shadow Caddy is "guaranteed never to snigger if you three-putt or slice one out of bounds." Sometimes the lack of a feature is best; the robot has no speech capabilities at all.
Regular Technovelgy readers will no doubt anticipate that I will compare this simple little robot to the autoporter from John Brunner's 1975 novel Shockwave Rider.
Just look at all of the devices that are trying to do what this little Shadow Caddy robot does, but tack on endless other (mostly unnecessary) features.
- TMSUK Robot Carries Your Bags
- Porter 'Robots' For Baggage, If Not People
- RoboPorter Carries Your Baggage, Guides You
- New Porter Robot - Matsushita Mechanorg
I was also thinking that you could invent a golf bag that was also a similarly autonomous robot; see these powered bags for walking through airports for inspiration:
- Russian Robot Suitcase
- Live Luggage Ready To Roll
From Daily Mail; thanks to Moira for contributing the tip on this item.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 6/30/2008)
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