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Hitchhiking robot that relied on human kindness found decapitated
So much for human kindness! Friendly hitchhiking robot is found DECAPITATED in Philadelphia just 300 miles into its attempt to cross the country
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...s-country.html
- The hitchhiking robot called HitchBOT set out on the American leg of its world journey two weeks ago
- It couldn't move on its own and relied on kind strangers to drive it from place to place
- But after successful trips in Canada and Europe, HitchBOT was found damaged beyond repair in Philly on Saturday
Only two weeks into an attempt to travel across the United States, the friendly hitchhiking robot's journey has ended in Philadelphia after being beaten to a pulp.
HitchBOT, who was created by a team of communication researchers from Ontario, was found damaged beyond repair early Saturday in the city of brotherly love.
"Sadly, sadly it's come to an end," Frauke Zeller, one of HitchBOT's co-creators told the Associated Press.
The robot set out to travel cross-country after successfully hitchhiking across Canada in 26 days last year and parts of Europe.
Journey ended: HitchBOT (pictured hitching a ride in Marblehead, Massachusetts) met its demise in Philadelphia after someone decapitated it on Saturday
The kid-size robot was immobile on its own and relied on the kindness of strangers to pick it up and pass it on to other travelers.
It's unclear who destroyed it or why.
HitchBOT was designed to be a talking travel companion that could give its drivers interesting factoids.
The humanoid robot couldn't move on its own and relied on strangers to drive it from place to place. Here it is snapped on a suck statue in Boston a week ago
About every 20 minutes, a camera would randomly snap photos to document its travels. A GPS was also placed in the robot to track its location.
The robot's US leg of its global journey began on July 17 in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
At the time, HitchBOT had tape wrapped around its cylindrical head that read 'San Francisco or bust'.
It traveled around Boston, where it checked off one of the items on its 'bucket list' - by attending a Red Sox baseball game.
With HitchBOT being destroyed, Zeller said she is most concerned about the children who loved it and followed its journey on social media.
'I hope that people won't be too disappointed - too sad,' she told the Associated Press.
Zeller says she doesn't plan to release the last photo taken of the robot because she wants to protect young fans who might be distraught.
HitchBOT's official Twitter account simply read: 'Oh dear, my body was damaged, but I live on with all my friends. Sometimes bad things happen to good robots!'
However the photo of the wrecked robot was tweeted by CBC News journalist Lauren O'Neil, who wrote: 'Canada's hitchhiking robot lasts just two weeks in US before getting decapitated.'
A map detailing the robot's short journey in the United States - which took it from Boston to Philadelphia
Friendly: HitchBOT talked to its human companions and was adored by most, including this group in the USA
The robot set out to travel from one side of the US to the other after successfully hitchhiking across Canada and parts of Europe
First trip in the States: The robot is pictured above with a group of people who picked it up in Massachusetts
Photos of the robot have been shared on social media throughout its journey across Canada and Europe
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Originally Posted by Colonel Frank Grimes
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