Meet 'Tony,' the Russian robot suitcase

(Credit: Robotronic)

While we appreciate our bosses' efforts to keep us productive at all times with such equipment as desk-equipped luggage, there's just one problem: We're too lazy to lug it around.

But those industrious new capitalists of the former Soviet Union have come up with a potential solution, much to our chagrin. They're developing a robotic suitcase that supposedly will "use its robotic brain, internal gyroscope, light detectors, and both sound and infrared sensors to follow you around without bumping into you or anything else," according to the Raw Feed. Using a special card that you carry as a sensor, the Russian-made "Tony," as they've named it, can even avoid falling down steps.

The robo-case, which is hoped to go on sale in 2009, will cost an estimated $2,000. Even if that exorbitant price were worth considering, we just couldn't get past a valet named Tony following us around, robotic or otherwise.