HitchBOT, hitchhiking robot, settles down at Canada Science and Technology Museum

HitchBOTis going to be a permanent exhibit at the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

"This is the original Canadian hitchBOT," TomEverrett, the museum's curator of communications technology, toldOttawa MorningTuesday.

"This is the hitchBOTthat made its way from Halifax to Victoria in 2014."

A second, newer hitchBOTtravelled to Europe and the United States before itwasdestroyed in Philidelphia earlier this year, sparking outrage among its many fans.

'Never quite sure' what it'll say

HitchBOT was created as a social experiment in 2014 to see how far an autonomous robot could make it across the country.

Theclearly Canadian robot is made ofa bucket formerly used as a beer cooler, described Everrett, withpool-noodle limbs, anda head made of a cake-saver to "protect it from the elements."

"It's covered with pins and stickers," said Everrett, adding that hitchBOT's creators chose to retire this model rather than disturb the mementos during an upgrade.

Everrett says the robot, which has a female voice, is"gender neutral" and unpredictable.

"It uses crowd-sourced language software, that's where it gets its artificial intelligence, so we're never quite sure what it's going to say."

Still 'on the road'

While its permanent homeat the museum could be a signal that hitchBOT is ready to settle down, Everrett said the wandering robot still has some travelling to do.

The Canada Science and Technology Museumwas forced to close last yearwhena leaky roof created an airborne mould problem. It won't reopen until late 2017.

"In the meantime, we're hoping to take it on the road."

That way, said Everrett, hitchBOT can continue doing what he was built to do: "interacting with Canadians."