Robot hitchhiker learning about human kindness found beheaded
A hitchhiking robot from Canada has been found murdered after just two weeks in the US
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VwFEPox9gDAqEHeyKxdKMZ-320-80.jpg)
A robot built to study the nature of human kindness has been found beheaded and dismembered on the streets of Philadelphia.
Designed by scientists at Canada's Ryerson University, HitchBOT was an autonomous robot who was designed to study humanity through hitchhiking.
Fitted with a GPS and camera for tracking and documenting his travels, HitchBOT could hold basic conversations with people through Cleverscript technology.
HitchBOT relied on the kindness of strangers to complete cross-country trips, travelling across Canada in 26 days and Germany in 10 days by getting rides from passersby.
His next journey was a tour of America, beginning on July 17 in Salem, Massachusetts, with a goal of reaching San Francisco's Exploratorium museum.
One of the project's creators, Dr. Frauke Zeller said: "Usually, we are concerned whether we can trust robotsbut this project takes it the other way around and asks: can robots trust human beings?"
Sadly, however, HitchBOT learned the ultimate lesson about human nature after barely two weeks in the US, when his dismembered body was discovered in Philadelphia.
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.
Found lying in the street in the early hours of Saturday August 1, HitchBOT had had his arms and head removed, discarded and abandoned.
"I hope to complete items from my hitchhiking bucket list with the help of friendly strangers," HitchBOT wrote prior to his trip, adding: "I cannot wait to make new friends".
HitchBOT's family' has remained positive about the tragedy, and released a statement urging fans not to worry.
"Sometimes bad things happen to good robots. We know that many of HitchBOT's fans will be disappointed, but we want them to be assured that this great experiment is not over," the scientists at Ryerson University wrote.
"We have no interest in pressing charges or finding the people who vandalized HitchBOT; we wish to remember the good times, and we encourage hitchBOT's friends and fans to do the same."
HitchBOT's mission looks set to continue, passed on to his eventual successor, but for now we can remember the plucky robot that crossed countries, attended weddings and even participated in a parade.
Goodnight, sweet prince. HitchBOT, we hardly knew ye.
Adam Shepherd has been a technology journalist since 2015, covering everything from cloud storage and security, to smartphones and servers. Over the course of his career, he’s seen the spread of 5G, the growing ubiquity of wireless devices, and the start of the connected revolution. He’s also been to more trade shows and technology conferences than he cares to count.
Adam is an avid follower of the latest hardware innovations, and he is never happier than when tinkering with complex network configurations, or exploring a new Linux distro. He was also previously a co-host on the ITPro Podcast, where he was often found ranting about his love of strange gadgets, his disdain for Windows Mobile, and everything in between.
You can find Adam tweeting about enterprise technology (or more often bad jokes) @AdamShepherUK.
Most Popular
Resources
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.