More than 30,000 people follow the robot on Twitter, and dozens have posted their own selfies with it. Researchers are culling data from social media to study how people interact with a robot that needs their help, unlike traditional robots designed to help them.Among the chief questions researchers are asking, Zeller said, is whether robots can trust humans.
During past travels, the robot has attended a comic convention and a wedding, and it had its portrait painted in the Netherlands. It once spent a week with a heavy metal band.
The cross-country tour of Canada took 26 days, spanning more than 6,000 miles. As for the U.S. trip, researchers don't know how long it will take, or what will happen along the way.
"We want to create something that has a bit of narrative to it, a sense of adventure," Smith said. "We don't really know what's going to happen."
Pretty cool idea.
Of course it’s more about people and social media than about the robot.