Meet HitchBOT, the friendly robot hitchhiking across the U.S. this summer

hitchBOT
(Image credit: Vimeo/hitchBOT)

The days when any old person could stick up a thumb and hitch a ride across America are long gone — but starting today, one brave robot is bucking the trend by hitting the road with nothing but a pair of boots, a digital smile, and an implicit faith in the kindness of strangers.

HitchBOT — a durable humanoid robot designed to be passed, person-to-person, on journeys across the world — has arrived in the United States, after enjoying previous trips through Canada and Europe.

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.