khoji parkRobots · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · 2015
The Hitchhiking Robot Crossed Canada, Then Stopped in Philadelphia
A social experiment exploring human-robot trust ends in vandalism.
Read in slides1. Creation
Professors David Harris Smith and Frauke Zeller created hitchBOT in 2013 to study how people interact with technology. The robot featured a cylindrical body made from a plastic bucket and a transparent top displaying digital eyes and a mouth. It lacked legs and relied entirely on drivers to carry it along its route. Equipped with a camera and social media accounts, the machine aimed to test human trust in autonomous devices.
The project launched its first major journey in 2014.
2. Canadian Journey
From July to August 2014, hitchBOT successfully traveled across Canada from Halifax to Victoria. Drivers picked up the robot and carried it along the Trans-Canada Highway without incident. During its travels, it spent time with the Wiikwemkoong First Nation, where it received the Anishinaabe name Iron Woman. Public enthusiasm was so high that researchers occasionally disabled its GPS to prevent large crowds from overwhelming its hosts.
The robot completed its transcontinental Canadian journey successfully.
3. European Tours
Following its Canadian success, the creators built a second machine to continue the social experiment abroad. In February 2015, the new robot spent ten days traveling independently around Germany. It then embarked on a three-week tour across the Netherlands in June 2015. Media outlets on multiple continents reported extensively on these travels, documenting positive public interactions and widespread curiosity.
The robot prepared for an ambitious journey across the United States.
4. US Crossing
The American tour began on July 17, 2015, with the goal of hitchhiking from Boston to San Francisco. The robot relied on roadside motorists to advance its westward trip across the country. Over the first two weeks, various drivers transported the machine through several eastern states. Supporters and online followers tracked its progress using the device's built-in GPS and frequent social media updates.
The journey progressed smoothly until it reached Pennsylvania.
5. Destruction in Philadelphia
On August 1, 2015, a photograph posted to social media revealed that the robot had been severely damaged in Philadelphia. Unknown individuals stripped, decapitated, and destroyed the machine beyond repair. Data recovered from the device indicated that its tablet, battery, and tracking systems all shut off simultaneously during the attack. Supporters tracking the robot's website located the mutilated remains shortly after the final transmission.
The robot's head was never recovered by investigators.
6. Public Reaction
News of the vandalism generated widespread media coverage and an outpouring of sadness across social media platforms. Co-creator Frauke Zeller expressed surprise at the destructive outcome given how long the robot had previously traveled safely in public. At the same time, researchers noted the immense volume of supportive messages sent by individuals condemning the act. The incident sparked global discussions regarding the ethics of robot treatment and the vulnerability of autonomous technology.
The damaged machine was subsequently returned to its creators.
7. Museum Placement
The original Canadian hitchBOT was preserved and placed on permanent display at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. Meanwhile, the second robot, which had been damaged in Philadelphia, was rebuilt by its creators. This reconstructed unit was transferred to the Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum in Paderborn, Germany. The museum exhibit invited visitors to interact with the device and take photographs.
The inventors continued developing subsequent iterations of the project.
8. Later Developments
The original hitchBOT’s American trip stopped after it was damaged in Philadelphia in August 2015. The researchers had already documented completed journeys in Canada and Europe. A video presented as showing the attack was later revealed to be a hoax, so it cannot identify how the damage actually happened. Later rebuilding and exhibitions were separate from the interrupted journey of the original robot.
The damage was real; the circulated attack video was not.