Robot Hitchbot is hitchhiking
This summer, a talkative robot from Ontario will try to hitchhike from Nova Scotia (province of Canada) to British Columbia.
Hitchbot will be about the size of a six-year-old child with a child seat already embedded in the back, says David Harris Smith, associate professor at Canadian State University McMaster, who was the first to introduce the idea of ​​creating a joint hitchhiking robot art project.
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For the first time, a small robot will try to ride a hare from the College of Art and Design in Nova Scotia on July 27, using only the only part of his body that can move - his arm. The researchers hope that he is charming enough to go all the way to Victoria.
On the way, he will talk about his adventures through social media - some should be known to those who will pick him up, Smith told CBC News: “He will be like an uncontrollable teenager in your car, he will photograph you and post your photo on Facebook ".
Hitchbot is also equipped with GPS and 3G wireless connectivity, which will allow it to immediately post updates of its location on the Internet.
Drivers who don’t want to be part of Hitchbot’s shared history shouldn’t take it with them, said Frock Zeller, an associate professor at the School of Professional Communication at Ryerson University and another leading project researcher.
On the other hand, Smith said: “If people want to take him home to introduce him to his family, or to a party, or somewhere else, then they can do it — if Hitchbot agrees. This is part of the adventure on his way. ”
Although its creators are researchers, Hitchbot is not part of a research project that usually takes place in a controlled environment. Rather, it is a joint, conceptual art project: “We are releasing it in a real environment,” said Zeller.
The goal of the project is to make people think and discuss the technologies around them and our perception of public safety.
“You know, there have already been many discussions around robots: will they take on the job, can we trust them? - says Smith. “And this artificial piece very cleverly turns the whole discussion around - can robots trust people?”
On the one hand, since Hitchbot cannot move, he will not have much choice in whether to trust people or not, Zeller recognized. But his virtual self-government can share his experience. “In principle, the whole world is already watching what is happening through social media,” she said.
On the other hand, the complex communication functions of Hitchbot are aimed at helping him gain people's trust, Zeller added. The ability to recognize and process voice will allow him to have small conversations. He can even rely on facts from Wikipedia on topics of conversation. He will have an LED screen so he can write text messages to people and use some facial expressions. And also he will be able to correspond with several people simultaneously on the Internet.
Hitchbot will be equipped with solar panels, which are installed on the lid of the portable cooler, from which its case is made, and also it can be charged from a car cigarette lighter or a regular outlet. But, if Hitchbot's battery runs out while he is waiting for his next trip, the instruction, along with a link to the official website on its case, will tell people how to fix it in the car and connect it to the power supply.
The remaining parts of his design will be pretty low-tech, and the only movement he can make will be his outstretched hand for hitchhiking.
Photos posted on Hitchbot Instagram on Monday showed that the robot head is made of a cake cover that “protects all of my brain parts, including LEDs, plastic bearings, motors, and a mirror,” says the robot.
He tweeted that his body was still “under development”.
Hitchbot will be about the size of a six-year-old child with a child seat already embedded in the back, says David Harris Smith, associate professor at Canadian State University McMaster, who was the first to introduce the idea of ​​creating a joint hitchhiking robot art project.
')
For the first time, a small robot will try to ride a hare from the College of Art and Design in Nova Scotia on July 27, using only the only part of his body that can move - his arm. The researchers hope that he is charming enough to go all the way to Victoria.
On the way, he will talk about his adventures through social media - some should be known to those who will pick him up, Smith told CBC News: “He will be like an uncontrollable teenager in your car, he will photograph you and post your photo on Facebook ".
Hitchbot is also equipped with GPS and 3G wireless connectivity, which will allow it to immediately post updates of its location on the Internet.
Drivers who don’t want to be part of Hitchbot’s shared history shouldn’t take it with them, said Frock Zeller, an associate professor at the School of Professional Communication at Ryerson University and another leading project researcher.
You can take hitchbot home
On the other hand, Smith said: “If people want to take him home to introduce him to his family, or to a party, or somewhere else, then they can do it — if Hitchbot agrees. This is part of the adventure on his way. ”
Although its creators are researchers, Hitchbot is not part of a research project that usually takes place in a controlled environment. Rather, it is a joint, conceptual art project: “We are releasing it in a real environment,” said Zeller.
The goal of the project is to make people think and discuss the technologies around them and our perception of public safety.
“You know, there have already been many discussions around robots: will they take on the job, can we trust them? - says Smith. “And this artificial piece very cleverly turns the whole discussion around - can robots trust people?”
On the one hand, since Hitchbot cannot move, he will not have much choice in whether to trust people or not, Zeller recognized. But his virtual self-government can share his experience. “In principle, the whole world is already watching what is happening through social media,” she said.
On the other hand, the complex communication functions of Hitchbot are aimed at helping him gain people's trust, Zeller added. The ability to recognize and process voice will allow him to have small conversations. He can even rely on facts from Wikipedia on topics of conversation. He will have an LED screen so he can write text messages to people and use some facial expressions. And also he will be able to correspond with several people simultaneously on the Internet.
Hitchbot will be equipped with solar panels, which are installed on the lid of the portable cooler, from which its case is made, and also it can be charged from a car cigarette lighter or a regular outlet. But, if Hitchbot's battery runs out while he is waiting for his next trip, the instruction, along with a link to the official website on its case, will tell people how to fix it in the car and connect it to the power supply.
The remaining parts of his design will be pretty low-tech, and the only movement he can make will be his outstretched hand for hitchhiking.
Photos posted on Hitchbot Instagram on Monday showed that the robot head is made of a cake cover that “protects all of my brain parts, including LEDs, plastic bearings, motors, and a mirror,” says the robot.
He tweeted that his body was still “under development”.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/226789/
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