Hitachi unveiled a robot vehicle that can pick up and drop off passengers autonomously. The tiny, single-seat ROPITS (Robot for Personal Intelligent Transport System) is meant to travel on sidewalks, or even be used indoors for getting in and out of elevators. Gyro sensors help it stay upright on uneven surfaces. Passengers climb into Ropits through a front hatch and specify their destination via a touch-screen tablet interface. ROPITS takes it from there. In case of emergencies, riders can control the vehicle with a joystick located in the cockpit. Gyro sensors It is equipped with GPS to find its way and relies on cameras and 2D and 3D laser distance sensors to avoid obstacles or pedestrians and slow down in narrow spaces. Hitachi demonstrated ROPITS in the Japanese city of Tsukuba and says it's aimed at the elderly and those who have difficulty walking. It is also easy to imagine it taking off as a next-generation Segway for the urban crowd, though there's no word yet on when you might be dodging the 450-pound device on a sidewalk near you. Hitachi says additional trials of ROPITS will be held in Tsukuba (considered a high-tech "science city") to improve the device's ability to serve as an autonomous transporter of people and goods. The company plans to further detail the technology at the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Conference on Robotics and Mechatronics. Lithium battery Powered by a lithium ion battery, the little vehicle can travel at speeds of 3.7 mph and reportedly reach its destination with error margins of up to 3 feet. Although it may look like a miniature car, Hitachi's ROPITS is more like a robotic wheelchair. The key difference is that – unlike the concept vehicles demonstrated by the auto makers – ROPITS drives itself. The company says ROPTIS would pick up a single passenger at designated stations all on its own. Entering your destination is as simple as tapping on a map displayed by an onboard tablet PC or your own mobile device. ( Dhaka courier)