#794: RobotiQ

Queuing: not only is it hard to spell, the very concept is a pain in the ear.

Today’s invention is a small, roomba-like robot, whose only function is to wait in line on your behalf.

These would be cheap enough so that you could drop one on the end of several queues. Each would have a hook which would engage with the device in front’s rear loop. This connection would only be released when the bot ahead had finished queuing so as to maintain the correct order, despite attempts by people to interpose their machine and thus jump the queue.

Each bot would also have your mobile number displayed and a push-to-lock cabinet on top, so that whatever was being waited for could be confirmed, placed inside, locked and only opened by the owner when his/her bot(s) returned to them (directed e.g. by on-board gps).