Tricycling Robot Goes for Guinness Record on Endurance Racing Circuit
Sports cars have long tested their 24-hour endurance on the Le Mans racing circuit in France. Now a Panasonic robot named Mr. Evolta will try to claim the distance record for a remote-controlled car, pedaling along furiously at 1.3 kilometers per hour (0.8 mph). The tricycling robot should manage about six laps of the 4-kilometer (2.5 mile) Le Mans circuit during the required day-long period, when it makes the attempt next Wednesday. It will navigate the winding course by following an infrared beam emitted by a lead buggy that travels ahead. Two AA Evolta batteries will power the robot. These batteries supposedly possess greater capacity than other alkaline cells, with efficient sizing that allows more battery volume to be used for active ingredients. But the tiny competitor faces challenges unique to its small stature. Tomotaka Takashi, the robot's inventor, said that even insects could present a problem, by...