Hitchhiking Robot

Researchers have created a hitchhiking robot named hitchBOT that will be making its way across Canada this summer. If all goes well (and no one steals or destroys the thing) it will make its way from Halifax to Victoria. When people pick it up, it'll make "regionally relevant conversation using a combination of GPS and Wikipedia."

More details: hitchBOT website, timescolonist.com

Who We Are
Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Sat Jun 21, 2014
Category: Robots | Travel

Comments

What's that long, thin appendage hanging down between its legs?

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 06/21/14 at 10:21 AM

You can count it´s lifespan in milliseconds, it´s just begging to get run over.

Posted by F.U.D. on 06/21/14 at 10:46 AM

Bring it down here and it will end up full of bullet holes.

Posted by BrokeDad in Midwest US on 06/21/14 at 11:03 AM

I wonder if they programmed it with all the rules in THE BOOK OF THE ROAD NSFW :lol: :coolsmile:

Posted by Tyrusguy on 06/21/14 at 11:26 AM

I suppose this can be called human/ AI research as much as art. Still a lot better than any "perfomance art" that I have seen!

I hope they have a network of resuce workers. A passing 18 wheeler will blow it into the ditch. Even with no ill intentent done, my bet is NAH!

But, I hope they succeed.

Posted by BMN on 06/21/14 at 11:42 PM

Somehow I doubt that's an actual picture of the thing. I can tell by the pixels, plus I've seen a lot of 'shops in my day. Thinkin I'll google it...

Posted by Mr Evilwrench on 06/22/14 at 07:46 AM

If the thing is only going from Halifax to Victoria it can hardly claim to have hitchhiked across Canada. Canada extends Eastward another entire province and 1484 kilometers (923 miles...another 15 to 20 hours driving.

Posted by Boyd from Newfoundland on 06/23/14 at 01:07 PM

Just an update - The hitchBOT has made it to British Columbia and should be home in a few days.

Posted by BMN on 08/12/14 at 08:21 PM

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.