The challenge of Hawaii’s grueling Ironman Triathion course is a formidable goal for anyone, but for a tiny Japanese robot known as Evolta, it would seem to be an impossible task.
But Evolta is no stranger to hardship as this Panasonic creation has already scaled the cliffs of the Grand Canyon, endured the Le Mans 24-hour circuit racetrack and has walked 310 miles from Tokyo to the old Japanese capital of Kyoto.
The hand-sized, green and white robot gets its stamina from three rechargeable batteries, which the robot bears on its back, and is fitted with three different bodies to accommodate the different physical challenges. These include: one mounted on a tiny bicycle, one in a round hoop with a supporting rear wheel and another mounted on a curved, fin-like blade.
Evolta will swim, bicycle and run its way through one of the world’s toughest triathlon routes, which commences on October 24 and will continue without stopping for seven days and nights.
“This is very tough even for a sportsman, but I think it is worth a challenge… Evolta’s height is just one-tenth of a grown man, so we figured out that it would take it 10 times more time. … I hope it will … succeed in the end,” said Tomotaka Takahashi, creator of Evolta.
The robot’s assignment is to swim, run and bike for approximately 143 miles. The time given to complete the task is one week or 168 hours, which is ten times longer than it would take a human of normal proportions.
Evolta’s creator had his own challenges as well. For one thing, he had to find away to make the tiny robot impervious to moisture and effectively protect it from mold. The batteries are slated to go on sale in late October. They have a long life and can be recharged up to 1,800 times via a recharger pad.
Here’s to Evolta, the new miniature triathion champ!
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