# Hitchhiking Robots The hitchBOT Robot Will Try to Hitchhike Across Canada This Summer By Rahul Kalvapalle | Published 2014-06-20 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hitchbot References: [gizmag](http://www.gizmag.com/hitchbot-hitch-hike-across-canada/32568/) & [hitchbot.me](http://www.hitchbot.me/) If you're in Canada and find yourself driving down the TransCanada highway and spot what appears to be a robot trying to hitch a ride, don't be alarmed; it's hitchBOT, a hitchhiking robot developed by professors at [McMaster University](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bacteriophage-microgel-bead-spray) and Ryerson University. The robot is fitted with jolly red boots and yellow gloves -- one of which wears a permanent 'thumbing a ride' gesture -- and will try to convince people to pick it up and drive it from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Victoria, British Columbia. hitchBOT sports artificial intelligence and also boasts [speech recognition and processing capabilities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reachy-mini), allowing it to understand and converse with humans. hitchBOT can not only converse with people, but can use social media and [Wikipedia](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wikipedia-article-ai) interfaces to engage in interesting dialogue with them. The robot is at once a scientific project, social experiment and art installation. In addition to engaging in high-tech interactions, it will also gauge how people interact with a robot that is out and about in their world. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.5/10 - Popularity: 72% | Activity: 86% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [AI](https://www.trendhunter.com/ai) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Hitchhiking Robots:** The trend of developing smart autonomous robots that leverage social media and other technologies to interact with humanity and navigate our world. - **Wearable Robotics:** The trend of designing intuitive and autonomous robots that can be worn by humans and can interact with them while providing guidance and support. - **Social Robots:** The trend of creating robots that use artificial intelligence to simulate human behavior, interact with humans, and help them with various tasks and activities. ### Who This Affects Most - **Robotics:** The robotics industry can leverage this trend by developing highly intuitive and intelligent robots that can learn from their environment and interact with humans in new and innovative ways. - **Artificial Intelligence:** The artificial intelligence industry can utilize this trend by developing intelligent virtual assistants that can converse with humans, make decisions, and automate tasks. - **Entertainment:** The entertainment industry can use these robots as part of immersive experiences to engage audiences and deliver interactive performances. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Accessibility-Focused Self-Driving Technology](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/selfdriving-technology1.md) - [Cartoonish In-Car Connectivity Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/car-robot.md) - [Robotic Cargo Carriers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kawasaki-bex-robot-goat.md) - [Child-Friendly Service Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/next-generation-service-robot.md) - [General-Purpose Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/generalpurpose-robots.md) - [AI-Powered Toy Cars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rocar.md) - [Cartoon-Inspired AI Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/butter-bot.md) - [Hopping All-Terrain Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ascento-pro.md) - [AI-Fuelled Robot Gold Trolleys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ixi-robot.md)