HitchBOT, a hitch-hiking robot making its way from Halifax, Nova Scotia across Canada to Victoria in British Columbia is nearing the end of its journey. The robot has spent three weeks, catching rides with drivers, during a journey stretching nearly 3,900 miles.
Chatty and well aware of social media, HitchBOT has its own website written in the first person (or robot). The hitchhiking robot maintains accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, maintaining a record of the people and places it encounters. Tens of thousands of fans have followed the robot on virtual networks. The tiny robotic hitchhiker has also met tens of thousands of people along the road and at temporary layovers.
David Smith of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and Frauke Zeller of Ryerson University of Toronto, developed the robot capable of thumbing a ride.
HitchBOT has camped in New Brunswick, attended a First Nations powwow and attended a wedding in British Columbia. The robot danced in the prairies and waded in Lake Superior. On 15 August, HitchBOT was located in British Columbia, headed toward the Open Space art center, on Vancouver Island.
"I can't wait to get to Victoria for my welcome party at the Open Space artists-run centre. For now I'm exploring Penticton, BC! #hitchbot" the "robot" wrote on its Facebook page.
HitchBOT is not capable of locomotion, and sits by the road, waiting for a driver to load it into his or her car.
"It's been really, really exciting. We've been actually really impressed and in some cases deeply moved by people's responses," Smith said.
HitchBOT is able to converse on a wide variety of subjects, in order to keep drivers entertained.
"I enjoy reading a lot of books, and I'm especially interested in philosophy and astrophysics. It certainly is an interesting mix - that is what happens when a robot is influenced by both the sciences and humanities. Simply put, I am a free-spirited robot who wants to explore Canada and meet new friends along the way," the HitchBOT website states.
Trivia is also a prime topic of conversation for the robot, as it rides down the road with drivers.
The android hitchhiker gathered 11,000 Instagram followers, 32,000 on Twitter and 42,000 on Facebook.
Developers of HitchBOT have created and released a video introducing the hitchhiking robot to the world.
Smith is still deciding whether or not to organize a return trip back across the country for HitchBOT. Visits to locales that expressed interest in meeting the robot that were not accommodated may be possible in the near future.
An open-ended robotic mission, in which the robot travels with no destination in mind and no call for return, may yet become a reality.
