At the end of October, a humanoid robot named Matylda has started her hitch-hiker trip from Jablonec to Pelhrimov. The robotic hitch-hiker was created in the OpenTechLab workshop located in Jablonec nad Nisou. They have printed her on a 3D printer.
If the robot manages to get to Pelhřimov, it will be recorded in the Czech Book of Records. It would be the first robot to break through the republic. Its journey has started on October 25th.
“We simply place it on a Jablonec highway exit and the robot starts to hitch-hiking. We will just watch her where she is, and we will post the video from her first trip for our fans on Facebook,” reveals “Matylda’s father” Michal Seidl.
Matylda behaves according to the situation
If the driver on the waving Matylda at the sidewalk encounters and bends down to her, she will explain to him who she is and where she wants to get. It depends on the chauffeur whether he will take her – to the Pelhřimov by a roundabout, or visit a zoo with her. No more conversational topic can talk to her in the cabin.
“We originally wanted to connect Matylda to artificial intelligence via the Internet to be able to communicate with people, to connect to Wikipedia, for example. Unfortunately, none of our operators have been able to provide a sufficiently large tariff to handle this data volume. Matylda, therefore, communicates only the base. She’s wearing sensors, and they’re evaluating whether she’s in the tracking phase or already in the phase that someone has come to see and find out who she is or at the stage, she is already carrying. According to this, she adapts her behavior, “explains the robot designer. The length of time spent with Matylda should not exceed 24 hours.
There is no question of whether the designer Matylda is afraid that someone will be injuring her or even steal her. “So we’re afraid, but we’re ready and willing to do it. But we hope that will not happen and many people are already reporting that they will take Matylda to ride, “says Michal Seidl.
“But if someone accidentally injures her in handling, the robot will carry a first aid kit. It will also contain adhesive tape, and one can stick a robot’s bad part. ”
The robot in the US was destroyed by the vandals
The creators of Matylda hope they will not fall as her colleague Hitchbot, who traveled in Canada and Europe three years ago. But his attempt to hitch-hiking in the United States was fateful.
He finished very soon after his start when he was eliminated by a bunch of vandals in Philadelphia.
“Matylda will also be illuminated with the help of some lightning lights,” adds Seidl.
And why did the robot actually get the name of Matylda? “Nothing for that, it was just the first name I thought. It is such a beautiful typical Czech name. And why a girl? Because she is so cute, she has a girlish fashion, “says the designer.
