When you think of America, what comes to mind? Maybe the rolling pastures turtle necking this country from its eastern waist to its western neck. Maybe you think of the interstates crisscrossing the states like compassing tattoos, so apparent that when you’re flying above this great land you can see them shining through the clouds up into your eyes.
That highway system is the best tattoo job you will ever see. But how would you ever truly appreciate it all if you don’t hit that open road and drive up and down the body? You can’t truly appreciate this great country if you haven’t yet dined with those interstates in the moonlight. The solution to this lack of American-ness is to go on a road trip; it’s as American as apple pie. Even robots are doing it. Well, were doing it, as reported by The Boston Globe.
Jacqueline Tempera writes, “A hitchhiking robot that left Marblehead last month to see adventure crossing the country was cut down in its prime, its creators reported Sunday. The robot, called hitchBOT, had covered a lot of ground since its July 17 departure, visiting Boston, Salem, Gloucester, Marblehead, and New York City. But on Saturday, while passing through Philadelphia, hitchBOT was vandalized.”
Yep. You read that correctly. A robot with high hopes of experiencing the excitement and goodness in America was vandalized in arguably America’s capital of independence. The irony is tragic. You might be wondering, why on earth would scientists create a robot whose sole purpose is to hitchhike? Well, it was a social experiment for starters. While many worry of the effect that technology has on humans, hitchBOT’s creators wanted to see the effect that humanity has on technology and, specifically, robots.
hitchBOT’s journey did not end well, but its journey demonstrates the formative power that driving across the country has on your soul. It’s the only way to really experience what the country means and, by extension, what you mean – and that’s a social experiment we can all get behind. Your message lives on hitchBOT, your message lives on…
