Trying to prove that batteries last? Today Discovery reported of a robot in works that will attempt the Ironman Triathlon! The pint-sized Japanese robot, Mr. Evolta is all set to do just that.The pint-sized green and white robot has already climbed a 1,739 foot rope up the walls of the Grand Canyon that was driven for 24 hours straight around the Le Mans racetrack and walked 310 miles from Tokyo to Kyoto.
Tomotaka Takahashi, creator of Mr. Evolta, told Reuters, "This is very tough even for a sportsman, but I think it is worth a challenge. The robot will encounter a lot of hardships on its way, but I hope it will overcome them all and succeed in the end." Those hardships include swimming, running and biking for almost 143 miles. Mr. Evolta must complete the course in one week or 168 hours, which is ten times longer that it would take an average triathlete. "Evolta’s height is just one-tenth of a grown man, so we figured out that it would take it 10 times more time," Takahashi added.
Mr. Evolta has three incarnations: one is mounted to a small tricycle, another fixed to a round hoop with rear support wheel and another waterproof version mounted on a curved floating device that acts as a rudder. "I had to think of the ways to make it water-proof and protect it from mold as much as possible," Takahashi said. The robot is powered by three AA-sized Evolta batteries, made by Panasonic. Mr. Evolta will test his mettle on October 24, when the triathlon test begins, while human racers will compete in the Ironman World Championships on October 8.