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."

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?

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.