Wall-E exists, and he is Italian!

While walking through the streets of Pisa as of April this year, you might have encountered five foot tall green unidentified moving objects. Indeed, these creatures are not humans. No need to panic however: the wide eyed, smiling Dustbots come in peace.

Created by the students at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa (a university research institute for applied sciences), these robots share many commonalities with their Disney friend. Like Wall-E, they have a pouch that can hold and sort different kinds of waste. The touch screen makes them easy to use, and their reassuring look will convince even the messiest kids to clean up.

The next time you decide to have a party, consider Pisa as a possible setting. After all, where else will someone help you throw out all the empty bottles and residue of hardened lasagna? One phone call and a Dustbot, like super heroes the world over, will come to the rescue, avoiding obstacles thanks to the combination of the GPS system and special beacons and sensors that determine its position to the centimeter. (That said, don’t throw yourself at him. After all, he weighs 1.5 tons!)

If, after the dinner, you and your friends still have some energy left to explore the town, Dustbot also provides private-concierge services, providing you with all the information needed to fully enjoy the city.

Greetings, sentient self-navigating garbage can/concierge!

Scroll down to see a few more photos.

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– Contributed by Valentina Nesci, writer, American University of Rome Senior, Italian Notebook Editorial Intern.

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