Robot To Slowly Run Ironman Triathlon Course

itwbennett writes "A robot designed by Panasonic will be running the course of this year's Ironman World Championship triathlon next month. But don't expect it to win. The diminutive robot won't even be competing in the actual race. It will start the Ironman course Oct. 24 and finish in about a week (168 hours), according to its designer. 'Evolta's height is just one-tenth of a grown man, so we figured out that it would take it 10 times more time,' Panasonic design engineer Tomotaka Takahashi told Reuters."

Comments

Triathalon

[camperdave]

As far as this "robot" is concerned, it is a toy. It needs floats to swim, training wheels on it's bicycle, and it runs in a hamster wheel. Heck, it's not even the same robot running the three legs of the Ironman! This has nothing to do with robotics. It is a publicity stunt for Panasonic's Evolta batteries.

Regarding the Ironman triathalon. I agree with my brother. They should put the swimming last. It would be a different race if you either finish, or die trying.

Re:Triathalon

[jfengel]

As I'm sure you figured out, that's exactly why they put the swimming first. They watch you like a hawk, with literally hundreds of people out in boats and ski-doos. Having the swimming first means that they get it all over with at once, in a couple of hours, rather than having them be out there literally all day.

Especially for the full-length Ironman, where the finalists don't finish until well after dark. Having to do the swim course in the dark would guarantee deaths.

PSA: Parent link contains gaping ass

[spazdor]

warning: goatse

Re:PSA: Parent link contains gaping ass

[Trepidity]

Is it wrong that I find goatse to be a sort of comforting, nostalgic presence these days? Once it may have inspired revulsion, true. But now I think: ah, a familiar friend from the 1990s Web 1.0 internet! We have had our differences, sure, but at least we are not like those Web 3.0 types, eh? Perhaps we are even allies now? Wouldn't we all like to see the looks on their faces when a goatse link gets thrown into the social-media mix?

Weird logic

[Rob Kaper]

They should build a robot 120 times taller than a human. It could run a marathon in a minute, or LA-NY in an hour and a half.

From a triathlete's perspective

[jockeys]

This is interesting. It's not surprising that the triathlon boards are on fire about this today, mostly with triathletes (on average, very type-A and way too competitive) concerned about the robot breaking a variety of rules:

1. it doesn't wear a helmet out of T1 and continuing into T2. Result: DQ
2. it doesn't have a chinstrap to keep buckled. Result: DQ on the bike, time penalty in T1 or T2
3. it will be receiving outside assistance from people other than sanctioned volunteers or medics. Result: time penalty
4. if it has any open tubing it is potentially violating the no open bar-end rule. Result: time penalty
5. if it drafts off anyone on the bike leg, it will be penalized and called out on internet forums as a cheater and a sissy
6. headphones and personal audio devices are banned, if this thing can play an MP3, it's not allowed on the course
7. depending on water temperature, it may not be allowed to wear a wetsuit
8. if it drops batteries or parts on the course it is guilty of equipment abandonment. Result: time penalty
9. if it doesn't finish in 17 hours, it absolutely doesn't count.
10. finally, it must have a valid USAT license or risk being banned from the sport.

Disclaimer: this is a bizarre inside joke for triathletes, don't take it seriously.

Metric

[pjt33]

Thanks for converting the Imperial "a week" into "168 hours" for us metric users. Weeks are, after all, even more obscure units than hogsheads.

Running or walking?

[sjbe]

In order to actually be running the robot will have to actually leave the ground between steps. Otherwise it is walking. So is it going to walk the course or run the course?