IMAGE SOURCE: (Geek)

BY ANTHONY MARTINEZ

Weighing in at just two pounds, standing seven inches tall, Panasonic’s AA battery-run green and white fighter -- meet “Evolta.” Yeah, he’s a little guy, but he’s got some major trials ahead of him.

This October, he’ll be competing in the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii. Here’s BBC, explaining the story behind the bot’s athletic ambitions.

There’s the training pool -- and there goes ‘Evolta.’ Surprisingly, this enduring task isn’t even about the robot -- it’s about his batteries. Panasonic’s promoting their Evolta brand of rechargeable batteries, and to prove their long-lasting energy, Evolta’s their man -- well, robot.

Of all triathlons to compete in, Panasonic thinks an Ironman might just prove to consumers the quality of their Evolta brand. Its YouTube channel highlights the triathlon’s notorious three stages.

“The challenge begins with the swimming event, a swim across 3.8 kilometers of ocean in  Kailua bay...Next, bike. The course runs both ways along a North South axis through volcanic rocks, a punishing 180.2 kilometers...Last, but far from least, the run, 42.2 kilometers.”

Evolta batteries hit the shelves back in 2008. TechCrunch says the triathlon isn’t the first stunt the “little robot who could” have pulled to prove just how efficient its battery is.

Apart from the triathlon, a writer for Singularity Hub reports this kind of robot feat signals some great changes on the horizon.

“I think it’s another sign that the robotics industry is gathering energy for major innovations in the next few decades.Engineers like Takahashi are creating humanoid robots that, while severely limited when compared to droids depicted in science fiction, are capable of truly impressive physical feats…”

Humans are only given 17 hours to finish the triathlon, but Evolta, one-tenth the size of a person, will have 10 days. Three different robots will compete--one for each stage.

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