Our mission at Piaggio Fast Forward has always been to create technology solutions that improve mobility for the entire human-built environment, from workplaces to pedestrian use. Our products are intended to make life easier for everyone who uses them. Because our technology allows for simple, hands-free navigation, we have found that they are a great tool for those living with physical and intellectual disabilities as they can support independence, creativity, and community participation.

Our team recently had the opportunity to travel out to Medford, Oregon to visit Living Opportunities - a non-profit organization that empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to thrive in diverse communities. As one of the largest service providers to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Southern Oregon, Living Opportunities meets basic needs and provides services to hundreds of individuals of all ages. As part of their offered services, Living Opportunities has built a Tech Lab in their office that houses all sorts of technology solutions to help support greater independence for members of their community, with gita robots being one of those solutions. 

Living Opportunities takes a “person-centered approach” to their Tech Lab that directly addresses peoples’ needs and wants in terms of assistive technology. With the Tech Lab, Living Opportunities community members are able borrow technology solutions without having to commit to a purchase themselves.

“The concept behind the Tech Lab is really affordability. A lot of people don’t have the budget to just go and buy and test technology… so here in the Tech Lab, you get the opportunity to play with it and see if there’s an opportunity for that buy-in before [purchasing] the tech,” said David Van Hook, Director of IT and Tech Solutions at Living Opportunities. 

Living Opportunities currently has two gita robots available in their Tech Lab - one gitamini named Loppy and a gitaplus named Coco - that people can borrow, try out on their own, and take around their community when they need an extra set of hands. 

“We’re in Oregon. We have a lot of trails and a lot of outdoor spaces, and a lot of people like to be active. With the robot, it allows people who otherwise would have to lug and carry their medication or extra support equipment to have a robot that will follow [them] around like an extra set of hands so they can go out and enjoy their life,” said David.

“For some of our community members, there’s some anxiety around being somewhere by yourself but [you] don’t want your parents with you. We have a lot of young adults that we provide support for, so our gita robots can kind of be that companion and support as well as help carry their gear and everything else. It kind of helps with the anxiety of being in a large area with a lot of people - it can be overwhelming.”

gita robots are operational right out of the box and don’t require any extensive training to start using them, however Living Opportunities offers a quick, 15 minute training meeting to make sure users are comfortable with gita before borrowing one. 

Since bringing gita robots into their Tech Lab, Living Opportunities has since labeled them as their “brand ambassador” when discussing tech solutions - an acknowledgement that we are honored to have. By carrying essential gear and offering a reassuring presence, gita robots are helping community members explore more independently and feel more comfortable doing the things they love. Not only does gita serve as an extra set of hands when needed, they are great conversation starters which helps foster connections between those using gita and other people in the community. 

Living Opportunities is actively working towards making Oregon a tech-forward state when it comes to disability services, noting that technology should be a part of the conversation. 

“Tech forward doesn’t mean we’re replacing support workers, but we want to make sure we are keeping the individuals in mind, and technology can be a huge benefit for a lot of people.” This sentiment is one that we at PFF fully align with, as our products - both consumer and enterprise - are built not to replace people or jobs, but to support people, workers and mobility in all environments.

To learn more about the great work that Living Opportunities is doing in Oregon, check out their website here and watch our full case study here.