HitchBOT is a robot is hitchhiking across Canada. (Photo : YouTube)
Creators of the hitchhiking robot called HitchBOT recently announced that its successful run came to a sudden heartbreaking stop when it met its demise at the hands of vandals.
According to Boston Globe, HitchBOT was able to cover significant miles since it was first launched on July 17. The robot was able to visit cities like New York, Boston, Gloucester, Marblehead and Salem. The robot finally succumb while in Philadelphia where it was vandalized.
The robot was able to send a message through the project's website and was quoted saying, "Oh dear, my body was damaged. But I lived on back home and with all my friends. I guess sometimes bad things happen to good robots!"
HitchBOT was designed by researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and Ryerson University from Toronto. The robot was created for a social experiment and was intended to complete its roundtrip to San Francisco. After the vandalism, creators of the robot refused to provide photographs of its damages. The creators said that it might upset some fans and followers especially from the younger generation.
According to The Guardian, the robot was able to travel from Canada and some parts of Europe during its 26 days of hitchhiking quest. The robot was immobile and relies solely on kindness of strangers who were generous enough to give him a lift. The robot was usually passed from one traveler to another. In some occasions, the robot is left in places where other travels will quickly notice it.
The creators of HitchBOT promised to repair the robot in order to complete its roundtrip hitchhiking quest back to San Francisco.
