Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Design and Architecture

    Design and Architecture

    Meet Gita and 'Dirty Girl' Joan Barton

    Can a robot get people walking again? Meet Gita, a cargo carrier on wheels created by the same company that designed the Vespa scooter. And "Dirty Girl Construction" founder Joan Barton shares her thoughts on building -- and triumphing -- in a man's world.

    • rss
    Download MP3
    • Share
    By Frances Anderton • Nov 14, 2017 • 28m Listen

    Photo: A prototype of Gita and Jeremy, a resident of the Crenshaw district of Los Angles. (Frances Anderton)

    In this episode

    2 stories
    1. 0:32

      Can Gita, the cargo-carrying robot, make you walk more?

      A prototype of Gita and Jeremy, a resident of the Crenshaw district of Los Angles Photo by Frances Anderton Would you walk with your belongings in a ball rolling along behind you? Maybe, if it looks like Gita . Gita is a kind of robotic suitcase on wheels. It’s being prototyped by Piaggio Fast Forward, a subdivision of Piaggio, the Italian…

      Read the story
      12 min
    2. 12:46

      Dirty Girl Construction's Joan Barton

      Joan Barton, founder and owner of Dirty Girl Construction, Inc.

      Read the story
      15 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Frances Anderton

      architecture critic and author

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Avishay Artsy

      Producer, DnA: Design and Architecture

      Culture

    In this episode

    2 stories
    1. 0:3212 min

      Can Gita, the cargo-carrying robot, make you walk more?

    2. 12:4615 min

      Dirty Girl Construction's Joan Barton

    Back to Design and Architecture