Hitchbot waiting for a ride! (via Hitchbot's Instagram)
This is a zany and fun pet project that is sweeping Canada and catching a lot of attention. University researchers David Harris Smith and Frauke Zeller created Hitchbot, a hitchhiking robot that is making an epic journey across Canada. This project is supposedly supposed to determine whether or not robots can trust humans. That may be what they said on their grant applications, but I suspect that they just wanted cute pictures of strangers helping a robot cross the country. However, this project does make me wonder about whether or not humans would actually help humans in this way. I suspect this is a project with more research into sociology, as opposed to commuting.
Hitchbot looks pretty adorable in his yellow gloves and spotted rain boots. Other people seem to think so as well, since Hitchbot's twitter feed is full of friendly strangers hosting Hitchbot for a night at a diner, and more. Hitchbot's journey takes it from Halifax to Victoria, British Colombia: a 4000 mile journey! Hitchbot is already over half-way there. In his final voyage, Hitchbot will take a ferry ride.
The Hitchbot website tells strangers how to care for Hitchbot and where his next drop-off point is located. The website and social media also track Hitchbot's progress and uploads pictures and tweets from Hitchbot. Hitchbot takes a photo every 30 minutes and uploads it to social media along with a personalized tweet.
A snapshot of Hitchbot getting a ride across the country from a tweet on Hitchbot's live feed (via Hitchbot's twitter stream)
Hitchbot also utilizes voice recognition to have a conversation with anyone lucky enough to give him a ride. He is also fully capable of babbling nonsense to himself when he cannot process what is being said to him. In either case, I'm sure it makes for an entertaining trip.
Inside Hitchbot's garbage can-like body, a tablet and Arduino power Hitchbot's capabilities. Hence, he isn't able to move, but he can sure talk up a storm and post to Twitter. The project is sponsored by an impressive number of funders who wanted to ensure Hitchbot a safe journey with his loveable LED grin. Take a look at Hitchbot's Twitter feed. It's sure to make you smile: https://twitter.com/hitchBOT.
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