Hasta La Gadget!

The Anybot was created as a way to give people who were unable to go outside, like the disabled or incapacitated, the ability to send a robotic representation of themselves that can attend classes, go to the office when they’re stuck in bed, or serve as a way to be present at an event in a far-away place even if they can’t be. If you want one, you’ll have to wait a bit – they’re not in mass production, and one unit would set you back around $15,000 anyway. 

Still, that didn’t stop one owner (reportedly a Google engineer) who’s been using one to test its telepresence capabilities from sending this Anybot on a quick run down to a coffee shop in Red Rock, California – near Google’s Mountain View headquarters – to pick up a scone for him. 

All dressed up in a little bow tie with a satchel tied around the robot’s neck, the Anybot wheeled down to the coffee shop, and with the help of a friend who was there to record the action on his cell phone, surveyed the coffee shop’s baked goods counter, decided on a delicious looking berry scone, and placed his order. The barista was kind enough to drop the scone in the robots satchel, and the bot was off and away, headed back to home base to deliver the treat to the user who was behind the virtual wheel the whole time. 

Hit the jump to see the full video.