It lives!
Last/first seen at the 2008 ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas, Crazy Robot Folding Stroller has continued evolving, adapting, and learning our ways.
And like Gremlins, the T-1000, or that hot chick from Species, it is using its cute charms to lure humans into caring for it, and helping it further its mission of world conquest.
CFRS has been adopted by five moms in Pennsylvania who, when the rest of their Twilight book group went home to make dinner, poured themselves another glass and created a robotic baby gear company, 4Moms. [I know.]
And so now the 4Moms Origami™ is set to roll towards you. Any minute, they swear.
The Origami™ has lost the wired remote control and gained an LCD screen, and a whole host of other doodads. Turns out that once you cross the threshold of wiring a stroller for electricity, the sky's the limit on the kinds of accessories and functionality you can add.
And this may be the Origami™'s real breakthrough. Because it certainly does not seem to be the robot folding mechanism, which, yes, it contracts in all three dimensions, but it doesn't really get that much smaller, does it? And it doesn't work with the underseat bag, or the bassinet, or the car seat adapter attached, does it?
But check this out: you charge the Origami™'s folding motors, and the LCD screen--with its built-in pedometer--and the running lights [!] and the USB charging port [!] by pushing the stroller.
Now you tell ME: why can't YOUR stroller can't charge your cell phone, or your iPad? Or keep my coffee warm in the cup holder?
You know what, here's their patent application right here: "POWER GENERATION SYSTEM FOR A STROLLER," one of almost 700 baby gear-reated patents and applications for Thorley Industries, LLC, the Pittsburgh-area corporate parent husband of 4Moms. Hey, which is seeking another $5 million private equity funding round, which is "expected" to come from previous investors, including Newell Rubbermaid, Graco's corporate parent.
So even though Thorley/4Moms has had to push back the launch of the Origami itself several times over the last couple of years, eventually, this electricity-generating stroller thing will happen. Carry on!
4Moms Origami robotic folding stroller, eventually $799.99 [4moms.com via dt reader tom]
Kind of creepy how it looks like it cowers and then crawls into a fetal position of sorts. Anyway, I hope all with all that tech there are sensors to prevent it from folding up when there's a kid on board.
I'm sure this thing is programmed to obey Asimovs Three Laws of Robotics.
I have no use for the folding mechanism. But the built in charger is brilliant.