A few months ago we announced a new update to gitamini called PFF smarts™mode as well as our first smart behavior. PFF smarts ™ is a new mode that is defined by the behaviors where gitamini navigates autonomously, without direct instruction from its user. We also like to call this “magic mode.”

Our first smart behavior that was released in June is called “Doors,” and it’s an autonomous mode that allows gitamini to pass through a door on its own, just as you would when someone holds a door open for you.

This autonomous mode was developed in part by our Smart Behaviors team who spend thousands of hours collecting data about the way people move. They study people on their own, in groups, while carrying objects, walking with dogs, and how a variety of animals move in groups. Studying these behaviors help inform the Smart Behaviors team and our engineers on how to make gitamini a better follower, or improve it’s “pedestrian etiquette” as we like to call it.

Pretty interesting, right? Here’s a bit more about how it works:

gitamini’s sensor vision recognizes the opening of a door when the door is within view

gita tip: When using a door with gitamini, the user should think of their robot as a person. They’ll need to hold the door for it just like a human pedestrian.

This triggers gitamini to go into PFF smarts™ mode. Users will know their robot has entered PFF smarts™mode when its lights turn purple and it plays an original sound designed by Berklee College of Music. The robot will then unpair with its user to move through the open door, turn, and wait.

When both gitamini and the user have passed through the door’s threshold, gitamini repairs when its user comes back into its view.

gita tip: gitamini recognizes certain characteristics about the user it was following prior to going into PFF smarts™ mode so it can automatically pair to the same user.

For doors that swing away from it, the user goes through the door first and gitamini follows, adjusting its path to avoid the doorframe.

gita tip: Remember gitamini still relies on its user to follow. It wouldn’t hurt to try it out a few times at home to get used to it before going out in the world.

For doors that swing toward it, gitamini waits for its user to open the door. Then it unpairs, travels through the door on its own, turns and then waits for its user on the other side.

gita tip: the Smart Behaviors team identified the ideal spot for gitamini to wait—it’s where most people would expect it to be waiting for them. If there is something in this spot (say a person or plant) gitamini will accommodate.

Doors was just the first behavior developed for PFFsmarts™ mode, but it certainly won’t be the last. Updates for gitamini are easily downloaded, similar to how you update a smartphone, through the mygita app.