On roads that do not end in Canada, hitchhikers are legion. But this summer, Canadian drivers might be a bit surprised if they intersect Hitchbot, a robot programmed to lift the thumb and make a trek in good company. Hoping that his incongruous appearance does not deter drivers. It looks indeed a bit of a kitchen trash wearing a wafer mounted on red boots and decked with two large fluorescent green hands Thumbs Up ...
It was called Hitchbot an English contraction of hitchhiking words and robot. Researchers have developed, hope it will help them understand in real time, the relationship can be established between a human and a robot. To find out, they will submit their "creature" at a roadside in the extreme east of Canada, on the Atlantic, to make him do through the country, to the Pacific coast. An odyssey of more than 6 000 km, which starts on July 27 in Halifax, Art and Design Nova Scotia College.
A child of six years
Hitchbot that the size of a six year old child will find herself planted along the highway, waving the only moving part of his body, his right arm with a big clumsy hand fluorescent green, thumbs up as n 'any hitchhiker. Its designers, David Harris Smith, assistant professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and Frauke Zeller, of the Faculty of Communication at Ryerson University in Toronto, have a lot of hope and electronics in their little protected .
But if Hitchbot a look a little weird, it's probably because recycled materials that were used to build it. An old bucket, bell cake, a few tubes and solar panels have been enough to give him his quickdraw. When the driver takes his Hitchbot board, he will have no difficulty to install it since the child car seat has been integrated into its backside. But once gone with him, he is expected to spill over activities. It will take pictures of his driver to post on Facebook in two clicks without forgetting to add the story of his journey from day to day.
It behaves like a teenager today, addicted to social networks and of course he has a Twitter account, # hitchbot. Obviously, it is equipped with a video camera, a GPS and a 3G connection, and his "parents" will be able to keep track. In terms of conversation, with its voice recognition software and audio Hitchbot should be able to provide on a lot of subjects, since it is powered by Wikipedia. But beyond pure knowledge, "we believe that Hitchbot will be charming and trustworthy enough during her conversations to reach across Canada," think Frauke Zeller.
Think about plugging it into the cigarette lighter
The little robot hitchhiker is not part of a university research program itself, since the object of the study will not be under direct supervision of researchers as the requirement rule, but a draft 'collaborative art. And unlike the generally problematic explored in the issue of living with robots, here you approach the other way because "the purpose of the exercise is to assess whether the robots can trust humans" Frauke Zeller explained.
"We believe we can learn a lot in terms of interaction with the robot and how people approach robots in unobserved and unrestricted environments," the scientists said in a statement. Appearance, some odds and pitcher should bring humans who will cross his way to show protective of the little robot. In any case it qu'espèrent researchers state that only he can do nothing. We must therefore think about battery recharge the cigarette lighter of the car.
The creators of Hitchbot also encourage those who will make him a long way to extend the story beyond their vehicle. Take him home, coffee, at a party, they say, and he will take care to tell the whole story on social networks! They hope to create a movement around this road movie so special that many Canadians are already promising to follow. Only negative Hitchbot only speaks English; Researchers say they have not had time to schedule it for the French. Regret for many Quebecers as talkative amateur long trips and innovations.
