Honda's cutesy robot cooler keeps drinks within reach

Honda didn't just unveil a slick-looking EV coupe concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. It also had a robot... though it's definitely not the kind of robot you'd expect from the company. Its RoboCas Concept is a super-cute cargo bot that can follow you around while hauling whatever you like in its large, customizable carrying space. Basically, it's an autonomous cooler with giant eyes. Honda imagines people using it to open pop-up curry shops or haul pumpkins home from the farm. We could see this being incredibly helpful if you don't have a car, or if you'd rather not drive just to haul some food and drinks to the park for a picnic. There's just one problem: it's not clear that RoboCas will move past the concept stage.

The transportation giant hasn't said whether or not RoboCas will go into production, and The Verge notes that the prototype shown at the Tokyo Motor Show was stationary and had a Windows tablet unceremoniously stuck to its back. We don't know the full capabilities of the robo-cooler, let alone whether or not it would be affordable as a production model. All the same, the idea is intriguing. Honda isn't just planning for a transition to self-driving cars -- it's arguing that robotics can eliminate the need for any car in certain situations.