A Q&A with gita owner Luke Chilone, fellow Bostonian and software architect.

gita owner since: June 2020

Neighborhood: Boston Seaport

Hours logged with gita: 100+

Longest gita trip: 90 minutes

Favorite gita accessory: Open cargo bin

Favorite place to bring gita: Shopping around the neighborhood

Biggest item carried: Christmas tree

How many times a week do you use gita?

Just about every day. I do not own a car so the majority of time I walk or ride a BlueBike.

What’s your favorite feature about gita?

It assists me in carrying goods in a most elegant way. The simplicity of operating something that is clearly complicated robotic and software engineering. There are not very many buttons or settings and there is not that much to think about, one push of a button gets it ready and another push of a button to get it to follow.

What are your favorite gita accessories?

The open cargo bin. It comes in handy when the item(s) I am carrying are an odd size/shape or if I pile a bunch of small items. The open cargo bin is great for carrying a camera tripod and a bunch of camera lenses (easy and quick access) or a way too large order of bbq from SmokeShop.

Where are your favorite places to bring gita?

Shopping in my neighborhood. Everything I would keep adding into my car I keep adding into my gita…I walk just about everywhere with it.

How has gita made your daily living easier? Has it been particularly beneficial during social distancing? 

Walking with gita provides powerful reminders of human curiosity and a big dose of fun. I would have to say it has been beneficial beyond utility. No one has anything close to a normal day and many simple things we used to enjoy (a casual conversation in line at a coffee shop) are absent. But people stop and talk to me almost every time I have gita with me, masks on and a good distance apart of course.

Can you think of a time when gita surprised you with its carrying ability?

I carried a small Christmas tree home with gita. Everyone (including my wife) was initially skeptical but I was quite certain the worst-case scenario was me carrying a tree under my arm as I was being followed by my gita. In retrospect I could have purchased a much larger tree.