Getting Around With the Pope Bot

Who by now hasn’t heard the sad story of the Hitch Bot and how it met its tragic end in rowdy Philadelphia? The camera-equipped android was on a coast-to-coast traveling expedition across the United States when it was vandalized by ruffians in Philly. The incident had the unfortunate side of effect of making the whole city look bad. Now, a cute faux-robot by the name of Pope Bot is offering the city a chance at redemption.

The Pope Bot is coming to a Philly landmark near you!

The pope himself is coming to Philadelphia on September 26 and 27, but the Pope Bot has already been seen around town. Made of what looks like a laundry basket and pool noodles, this innocent-looking traveler is being deployed around the Delaware Valley to show the pontiff (and the world) that Philadelphia is a much nicer place than some may think. The Pope Bot is depending on the kindness of strangers to give it a lift from place to place and to share social media images of its travels around the region. Also known as the “Papal Robot Hitchhiker,” the Pope Bot is a social experiment of which its creators hope will spread a little love and kindness in the weeks leading up to Pope Francis’ visit.

Those who encounter the Pope Bot are asked to take pictures and to tag them with #PopeBotPhilly so that others can follow the Bot’s travels. So far the Bot has been seen in several locations around Chester and Montgomery Counties, including the Plymouth Meeting Mall. It has accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.