The Shadow Caddy robot is a remarkably simple technological answer to the problem of hauling your golf bag for eighteen (seemingly endless) holes.

The new golf robot is operated using a transmitter; once you start it up, the robot will follow you as long as you have the transmitter clipped to your belt.

Shadow Caddy has an infra-red collision-avoidance system to keep from running into you or other golfers. Apparently, it can also avoid such unfortunate mishaps as falling into a water hazard or sand trap. Take a look at the Shadow Caddy video, and judge for yourself.

Human caddies had better watch out; the Shadow Caddy is "guaranteed never to snigger if you three-putt or slice one out of bounds." Sometimes the lack of a feature is best; the robot has no speech capabilities at all.

Just look at all of the devices that are trying to do what this little Shadow Caddy robot does, but tack on endless other (mostly unnecessary) features; see the pictures of the fancy RoboPorter and the Matsushita porter robot both intended for use in airports to carry your bags.

I was also thinking that you could invent a golf bag that was itself an autonomous robot; see the new Live Luggage for walking through airports for inspiration.

Innovation: Ideas and Technologies of the Future(This Science Fiction in the News story used with permission of Technovelgy.com)