Last week, hitchhiking robot, hitchBot departed on a trip across Canada, relying on the kindness of strangers. The little robot has its thumb permanently out, asking for a ride, and has so far met and made conversation with an interesting collection of drivers and passengers. So far, hitchBot has traveled a winding route from Nova Scotia to Montreal.
Armed with a programmed vocabulary and a pair of sturdy rainboots to protect itself against the weather, hitchBot tells those who pick it up for a ride its story and mission. Humans are increasingly connected to technology -- already there are stories about people who name their Roombas and soldiers who grow attached to bomb-detecting robots -- a cute robot in rainboots is unlikely to raise alarm, but the project does bring up questions of human-machine trust.
Can humans can trust robots as technology becomes “smarter” and more autonomous? Can robots “trust” humans? Will hitchBot make it all the way across Canada?
Guest:
David Harris Smith, assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at McMaster University, co-creator of hitchBot