I don’t think I’ve ever played a round of real golf in my entire life. Never even watched a game on TV, unless you count Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore. If I can infer something about the sport, though, it’s that lugging around a bushel of metal rods kind of stinks. That’s what caddies are for, of course, but not everyone can afford their own helpful teenager. Luckily, there’s another option in the caddie department: a little robot named Rover.
Rover is an entirely autonomous caddie robot. It’s got a big wedge in the middle for comfortably storing your club bag, as well as a phone charging station and a cup holder.
Rover comes with a wireless transceiver that the player wears on their hip. Using the transceiver as a waypoint, Rover follows the player wherever they go, all the while remaining a respectful three to four feet away.
Rover also possesses local collision detection and can avoid small hazards. The battery can go two whole games, a good 36 holes, on a single battery charge. Rover units are available for rental at certain golf clubs in the southeastern United States. $1 of every rental is donated to charity.
