Piaggio Fast Forward

Boston-based Piaggio Fast Forward Inc. (PFF) is a mobility technology company established in 2015 by the Italian Piaggio Group. PFF develops autonomous robotic solutions designed to enhance mobility in urban and human-made environments. The company integrates Piaggio’s expertise in mobility with modern artificial intelligence and robotics engineering to focus on collaborative robot systems that work alongside people.

Founding and Vision

Piaggio Fast Forward aims to reflect the Piaggio Group’s vision for future forms of mobility, as the manufacturer of the Vespa scooter. The company’s primary objective is to develop intuitive and efficient robotic systems that assist people in daily life and work settings with tasks such as load carrying logistics and support functions, using a human-centered design approach. PFF provides solutions that address the local mobility needs of both individual users and businesses.

Products and Technology

The company’s main products are autonomous robots equipped with load-carrying and tracking capabilities: the gitamini® and gitaplus® models. These robots follow their users autonomously by detecting their movements through sensors and cameras. This technology relies entirely on visual recognition and environmental awareness systems without requiring any phone or GPS connection.

Thanks to their water-resistant body structures, gitamini and gitaplus can be used both indoors and outdoors. The robots maintain stable movement across diverse surfaces such as gravel, sloped terrain, grass, and sidewalks. After undergoing approximately 1,000 miles of test drives, these products are continuously improved through software updates.

Piaggio Fast Forward initially developed solutions targeting individual consumers and later expanded this technology to industrial applications. The company’s tracking technology is used to develop mobile solutions that support workforce efficiency in sectors such as hospitality manufacturing indoor agriculture construction and logistics. This approach is grounded in designs that enable robots to interact safely and intuitively with humans in dynamic environments.

Design and R&D Approach

PFF designs its products according to the “public build” principle continuously refining development processes through user feedback. The company’s engineers collaborate with urban planners and designers to preserve the ergonomic functionality and aesthetic coherence of human-compatible robotic systems. This design philosophy ensures that PFF’s robots move in accordance with “pedestrian etiquette”.

Awards

Piaggio Fast Forward’s robotic solutions have received various international awards in the categories of design and user experience.

One of the company’s notable productions is the Star Wars-themed G1T4-M1N1 droid model developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd. This version integrates distinctive Star Wars design elements with gitamini technology to bring the “droid” aesthetic into real life.

Piaggio Fast Forward’s headquarters is located in Boston Massachusetts. The company operates as a subsidiary of the Piaggio Group and serves as one of Piaggio’s global centers for advanced mobility technology.