People fail: Hitchhiking robot’s trip across US meets quick, brutal end
Aug 3, 2015, 9:00 AM
The robot hitchhiking its way across America got its bell rung but good in Philadelphia over the weekend, ending an experiment that was designed to see how people would interact with the robot.
The worst possible answer to that question was delivered in the home of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, where hitchBOT was reportedly left in pieces, like Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz,” two weeks into his U.S. visit.
Oh dear, my body was damaged, but I live on with all my friends. Sometimes bad things happen to good robots! #hitchBOTinUSA
— hitchBOT (@hitchBOT) August 1, 2015
The bot from Canada started his adventure near Salem, Massachusetts, with a plan to reach San Francisco, depending on the kindess of strangers to get there.
The kindness came to an end in Philly, where, in a note posted to the bot’s research team website, the little traveler “was vandalized” in Philadelphia.
And so it ends. But good times were had by those who met the hitcher.
Time for a well-balanced breakfast before continuing my travels. Robots cannot feel jealousy, but apparently dogs can pic.twitter.com/kN4fjsqEGq
— hitchBOT (@hitchBOT) July 21, 2015
I have hitched my first ride, everything is hunky-dory! Follow me on @Storify: https://t.co/YQjBkJ8Rsk #hitchBOTinUSA pic.twitter.com/7rZGHwUuND
— hitchBOT (@hitchBOT) July 17, 2015
