hitchBOT the hitchhiking robot destroyed by vandals while crossing the United States

A HITCHHIKING robot that thumbed its way into the hearts of fans worldwide has met a brutal demise while crossing the United States.

A HITCHHIKING robot that captured the hearts of fans worldwide has met its demise at the hands of a vandal while crossing the United States.

The Canadian researchers who created hitchBOT as a social experiment say someone in Philadelphia damaged the robot beyond repair on Saturday, ending its brief American tour.

It survived just two weeks in the United States.

Travelling circuit ... A couple embrace as Dan Winske wheels hitchBOT through the stands before a baseball game at Fenway Park between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigerson. Source: AP

The robot was trying to travel cross-country here after successfully hitchhiking across Canada last year and parts of Europe.

It set out from Marblehead, Massachusetts in July with the goal of reaching San Francisco, but never made it off the East Coast.

The creators were sent an image of the vandalised robot but cannot track its location because the battery is dead.

They say they don’t know who destroyed it or why. But co-creator Frauke Zeller says many children who adored the robot are now heartbroken.

Robot on a shoestring ... HitchBOT, a hitchhiking robot, sits near the harbour waiting for its first ride in the US as a little girl makes her way down to the water. Source: AP