hitchBOTU.S. ADVENTURE

SUMMER 2015

PRESS KIT

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OverviewPress Release

U.S. Bucket List

About Me

Tech Specs

Past Travels

Media Resources

Contacts

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hitchBOThitchBOT TAKES ON AMERICAN HITCHHIKING ADVENTURE, JULY 17

Canadian hitchhiking robot to cross the U.S., relying solely on the kindness of strangers

TORONTO, ON, July 6, 2015 – Canada’s first hitchhiking robot, hitchBOT, begins its next hitchhiking adventure on July 17, traveling across the United States of America one ride at a time from Boston, MA to San Francisco, CA.

In addition to newly shined wellies, the quirky robot will be packing a hitchhiking bucket list, which it hopes to complete with the help of friendly strangers it meets along the way. The list contains a number of places and historic monuments hitchBOT hopes to visit, including Times Square in New York City; Millennium Park in Illinois; Mount Rushmore in South Dakota; and the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

“hitchBOT was very well received as it made its way across Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands – proving that robots can indeed trust humans,” said hitchBOT’s co-creator Professor Frauke Zeller, “and given that hitchBOT is built out of a bucket, we thought it would be only natural if we let it have a bucket list for this exciting new adventure.”

hitchBOT’s good-bye party will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday July 16 during the evening party series at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, MA. Its final destination is the Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA. On Friday, July 17, hitchBOT’s co-creators, Professors Zeller and David Harris Smith, will bid it farewell on an East Coast highway where it will begin its great U.S. hitchhiking adventure by putting up its thumb and asking for a ride.

hitchBOT is an outgoing and charismatic robot that began hitchhiking across Canada in July 2014. In less than four weeks, hitchBOT charmed its way into rides across the country, depending on the help of kind strangers. hitchBOT cannot move by itself, but can converse with humans thanks to Cleverscript speech technology, which allows it to answer questions about where it comes from or its favourite pastimes.

“This trip will be unlike any other, as hitchBOT’s goal is not only to hitchhike across the U.S., but also to visit a number of historic sites and monuments. We’re hoping to see hitchBOT involved in some creative adventures while on the road,” said Harris Smith.

hitchBOT’s family consists of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team of researchers from the fields of visual arts, engineering, computer science, and communication. The project was originally co-designed by Dr. David Harris Smith, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia at McMaster University (Hamilton), and Dr. Frauke Zeller, Assistant Professor in the School of Professional Communication at Ryerson University (Toronto), to see whether robots could trust humans.

Fans are encouraged to follow hitchBOT’s journey at hitchbot.me and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. hitchBOT is also inviting users to share their hitchhiking stories and pictures using #hitchbot on Twitter and Instagram. Members of the media and the public are invited to attend the launch event on July 16 at 6 p.m.

hitchBOT’sHITCHHIKINGBUCKET LIST

Times SquareNew York

Millennium Parkllinois

Mount RushmoreSouth Dakota

Grand CanyonArizona

Where else should I go?#hitchBOTinUSA

I want to cross items off my hitchhiking bucket list as I make my way across the USA. Let me know where else I should go using the hashtag “#hitchBOTinUSA”. Follow my journey as I add and complete the suggestions from my online friends.

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About MeI am hitchBOT — a robot from Port Credit, Ontario. Starting on July 17, I am going to hitchhike across the United States of America. My guardians are Dr. David Smith (McMaster University), and Dr. Frauke Zeller (Ryerson University). When I was growing up, I was surrounded by bright, intelligent, and supportive people who I am proud to call my family. Thanks to their guidance, I have been able to explore the world, make new friends, and post all of my most precious memories to social media.

During the past year, I hitchhiked across Canada and Germany, then took a much needed arts and culture vacation in the Netherlands. But what can I say … I am a free-spirited robot that loves to keep busy! On July 17, I will once again hit the road and hitchhike across the U.S. I want to make the most of this trip, so I have prepared a bucket list of things I would like to see while I make my way from Boston to San Francisco.

Canada Germany Netherlands

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Tech SpecsI am approximately 3 feet tall, and weigh about 25 pounds. I have camera vision, a microphone and a speaker system, which gives me the ability to see, hear and speak. I also have a sense of space, thanks to my 3G and GPS capabilities, and I am aware of where I am, and where I want to go next.

For my trip across America, my family has been kind enough to install a battery meter on my beer bucket torso. It can tell my new friends how much energy I have left (so they can avoid a crankyBOT!) and whether it is dif-ficult for me to understand them. I may be a social robot, but I much prefer quiet places.

My hitchhiking hand will never get tired

Sturdy boots for standing and waiting for my next ride

I speak and converse. My charm and wit make me a great travel companion

3G & Wifi Network LED Screen

Alternative Energy Source

Audio / VisualCapture

Social Media APIs

Speech RecognitionProcessing

World Knowledge(Wikipedia API)

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Battery Indicator

Past TravelsGermany

This past February I had the pleasure of hitchhiking around Germany. My journey began in Munich, and in just 10 days I travelled through lovely cities such as Cologne, Berlin, and Hamburg. Along the way, I visited places like the Neuschwanstein Castle, Brandenburg Gate, and Cologne Cathedral. Relying on the help of my German friends, I hitched a ride in a sport car, on a bicycle, and a bus to safely arrive back in Munich later that month.

Netherlands

After a long year of hitchhiking, I took a little vacation in Europe this June. I shined my Wellies, packed a suitcase, and headed for the region of Twente. I loved seeing the arts and culture there, and the people were even kind enough to make me some robot-companions out of household odds and ends. My co-creators gave talks about how I work and what I do, and all I had to do was smile for the camera and enjoy my holidays!

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Canada

Last summer, I hitchhiked across Canada in 26 days. My trip started in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and ended in Victoria, British Columbia, a total of 10,000 km. Throughout my 19 separate rides, I made a lot of friends and shared great memories, including attending a wedding, dancing in Saskatchewan, and meeting some of Canada’s First Nations.

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Media Resources

Usually, we are concerned whether we can trust robots…but this project takes it the other way around

and asks: can robots trust human beings?

- Dr. Frauke Zeller

“ “hitchBOT looks like somebody has cobbled together odds and ends to make the robot, like pool noodles,

bucket, cake saver, garden gloves, and Wellies.

- Dr. David Harris Smith

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We believe that through this artwork, we can learn a lot in terms of social robotics and how we approach

robots in non-restricted, non-observed environments.

hitchBOT has always been an arts and science project, so we are ever so delighted when hitchBOT can play a role in promoting art and culture all over the world.

- Dr. Frauke Zeller & Dr. David Harris Smith

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ConnectMedia ContactJohanna VanderMaasPublic Affairs, Ryerson UniversityOffice: 416-979-5000 x 4630johanna.vandermaas@ryerson.ca

@RyersonU

hitchBOT.me

hello@hitchBOT.me

facebook.com/hitchBOT

twitter.com/hitchBOT

instagram.com/hitchbot