The hitchBOT Robot Will Try to Hitchhike Across Canada This Summer
Rahul Kalvapalle — June 20, 2014 — Tech
References: hitchbot.me & gizmag
If you're in Canada and find yourself driving down the TransCanada highway and spot what appears to be a robot trying to hitch a ride, don't be alarmed; it's hitchBOT, a hitchhiking robot developed by professors at McMaster University and Ryerson University.
The robot is fitted with jolly red boots and yellow gloves -- one of which wears a permanent 'thumbing a ride' gesture -- and will try to convince people to pick it up and drive it from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Victoria, British Columbia.
hitchBOT sports artificial intelligence and also boasts speech recognition and processing capabilities, allowing it to understand and converse with humans. hitchBOT can not only converse with people, but can use social media and Wikipedia interfaces to engage in interesting dialogue with them.
The robot is at once a scientific project, social experiment and art installation. In addition to engaging in high-tech interactions, it will also gauge how people interact with a robot that is out and about in their world.
The robot is fitted with jolly red boots and yellow gloves -- one of which wears a permanent 'thumbing a ride' gesture -- and will try to convince people to pick it up and drive it from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Victoria, British Columbia.
hitchBOT sports artificial intelligence and also boasts speech recognition and processing capabilities, allowing it to understand and converse with humans. hitchBOT can not only converse with people, but can use social media and Wikipedia interfaces to engage in interesting dialogue with them.
The robot is at once a scientific project, social experiment and art installation. In addition to engaging in high-tech interactions, it will also gauge how people interact with a robot that is out and about in their world.
Trend Themes
1. Hitchhiking Robots - The trend of developing smart autonomous robots that leverage social media and other technologies to interact with humanity and navigate our world.
2. Wearable Robotics - The trend of designing intuitive and autonomous robots that can be worn by humans and can interact with them while providing guidance and support.
3. Social Robots - The trend of creating robots that use artificial intelligence to simulate human behavior, interact with humans, and help them with various tasks and activities.
Industry Implications
1. Robotics - The robotics industry can leverage this trend by developing highly intuitive and intelligent robots that can learn from their environment and interact with humans in new and innovative ways.
2. Artificial Intelligence - The artificial intelligence industry can utilize this trend by developing intelligent virtual assistants that can converse with humans, make decisions, and automate tasks.
3. Entertainment - The entertainment industry can use these robots as part of immersive experiences to engage audiences and deliver interactive performances.
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