Can a robot hitchhike across Canada?

It’s an unfair stereotype, but even in the 21st century some still insist on saying that Canadians are genial and polite.

The question is: Are they nice enough to pick up a stranded, hitchhiking robot?

The world will soon know. HitchBOT, a friendly little robot developed by researchers at several Ontario universities, is set to begin its journey from Halifax to Victoria on Sunday, relying solely on the kindness of strangers.

“I will be traveling across Canada, from coast-to-coast this summer, hoping to make new friends, have interesting conversations, and see new places along the way,” Hitchbot explains on its site. “As you may have guessed robots cannot get driver’s licenses yet, so I’ll be hitchhiking my entire way.”