Post: #1

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/us/hitchbo...phia-feat/

There some pics and tweets that I left out. There is also a video on the link.

Just one pic for you to see what it is. So much for brotherly love...

Quote:(CNN)This is why we can't have nice hitchhiking robots.

HitchBOT, the cheerful hitchhiking robot that had made cross-country trips across Canada, the Netherlands and Germany, had intended to travel across the United States as well. Instead, it survived all of 300 miles on the mean streets of the U.S.A.

Two weeks after beginning its U.S. trip in Boston, the robot was vandalized in Philadelphia, the team overseeing the robot said in a statement.

"HitchBOT's trip came to an end last night in Philadelphia after having spent a little over two weeks hitchhiking and visiting sites in Boston, Salem, Gloucester, Marblehead, and New York City," the hitchBOT "family" said on its website. "Unfortunately, hitchBOT was vandalized overnight in Philadelphia; sometimes bad things happen to good robots."

However, the group said that more is in store for the little robot, which got to sit in the cockpit of an Air Canada plane, visit Dutch art galleries and meet Santa Claus. (Perhaps it was the Santa connection that finally did hitchBOT in; Philadelphians are notoriously mean to Old Saint Nick.)

"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 group said. "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, which was made out of odds and ends and was clad in Wellington boots and gardening gloves, was entirely dependent on the kindness of strangers. It traveled by itself and couldn't move on its own but required friendly humans to take it from place to place.

The robot, created by a group based at Ontario's McMaster and Ryerson universities, was a social experiment intended, in part, to test human psychology when confronted with technological novelty.

"This is both an artwork and social robotics experiment," creators Frauke Zeller and David Harris Smith told The Atlantic. "Usually, we are concerned whether we can trust robots, e.g. as helpers in our homes. But this project takes it the other way around and asks: can robots trust human beings?"

For the most part, hitchBOT's travels went smoothly. Even in the United States, the robot got a trip to Fenway Park and took in the sights in midtown Manhattan.

But not long after, hitchBOT met its demise -- at least until it can be reassembled.

Even after losing its head, hitchBOT remained upbeat.

"My trip must come to an end for now, but my love for humans will never fade," the bot said. "Thank you to all my friends."

Post: #2

I thought this was pretty cool, guess the city of brotherly love ain't so much about love is it now ?

Post: #3

#Bot Lives Matter

Post: #4

Hahah it appears the guy who did this was wearing an Eagles jersey. I can already hear ESPN and FOX commentators going at it next season..

"...these are the same fans who threw snowballs at Santa Claus, booed Donovan McNabb and ripped a hitchhiking robot's head off!"

Post: #5

I'm sad for the bot, but I also can't help but think that its inventors have too much time on their hands...

Post: #6

Where are the SJWs?

Post: #7

Betcha it was Mac, Frank, Dennis, Charlie, and Dee.

Post: #8

Did Rocky knock his head clean off ?

Post: #9

As a philly native this doesn't surprise me. You'll find the worst of the worst in this city.

Post: #10

As poor little HitchBOT lay there, headless, logs indicate the last executable that ran through its digitronic brain was an infinite loop repeating the following 50 cent lyrics:

Acting like you all hard, you ain't built like that
See me when you see me nigga!

He'll be back

Post: #11

Someone was obviously worried it'd take his job.

Post: #12

You know if he was a human this never would have happened!
His lack of privilege killed him.

Post: #13

Bill Burr was right about Philadelphia:

Post: #14

Meek finally found beef he could handle.

Post: #15

did they chuck batteries at it first?

Post: #16

Ben Franklin is probably rolling in his grave at the absolute shithole Philly turned into.

Post: #17

(08-03-2015 06:37 PM)Eskhander Wrote:  You know if he was a human this never would have happened!
His lack of privilege killed him.

I wouldn't be so sure. Humans behead other humans occasionally and after looking at the remains, I think a video could exist that would give "chechclear" a run for its money.

Post: #18

Trashing of the bot looks fake, probably staged to cover an insurmountable mechanical malfunction. You don't even see the guy's foot hit it.

Oh here is why, the Hitchbot "family" is comprised of fat women and fat homosexuals. Failure is something these groups can't deal with. That's why they never improve themselves.

Post: #19

Honestly, what did the people who made this thing think was going to happen?

Post: #20

(08-03-2015 08:30 PM)Frontenac Wrote:  Honestly, what did the people who made this thing think was going to happen?

Well, it did make it across this continent once, and across another without being destroyed. In view of that, maybe they thought the better side of human nature would prevail?

Post: #21

I really wish I saw the dialogue and the scene going up to the incident. I'm just picturing this guy shit faced drunk and freaking out at the thing and just going HAM on it

Post: #22

(08-03-2015 09:29 PM)ManVsMachine Wrote:  I really wish I saw the dialogue and the scene going up to the incident. I'm just picturing this guy shit faced drunk and freaking out at the thing and just going HAM on it

Video is here don't know how to embed this.

http://www.people.com/article/hitchbot-r...phia-video

Post: #23

This was somewhat a naively hopeful test to see if we can believe in the kindness of strangers.

Way to fuck up it Philly.

Post: #24

It's too bad someone didn't get a video of a flash mob swarming over the robot and tearing it to pieces.

Post: #25

Anyone noticed that "HitchBOT" is an anagram of "HOT Bitch"?