According to story in the Yomiuri Shimbun, Panasonic is planning to pit their diminutive Evolta cycling robot against the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit in France on August 7th.

The Evolta—named after the Panasonic AA Evolta batteries that power it—will try to lap the famed road course as many times in possible in a 24 hour period.

Panasonic is on a media blitz for their Evolta battery technology, and is attempting to gain some ground against popular battery brands like Energizer and Duracell. The Evolta was awarded a Guiness World Record for having the “Longest Lasting AA Alkaline Battery in a wide range of devices” in January 2008. In May 2008, the indefatigable Mr. Evolta also clambered up 1700 ft. on a rope at the Grand Canyon.

The Evolta is roughly the size of a shoe box, and is powered by two AA Evolta batteries. Created by famed Japanese robot creator Tomotaka Takahashi, the Evolta will rely on an infrared sensor to make its way around the Le Mans circuit. (Source: Digital Arts, Yomiuri Shimbun)

According to a news release over at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), a vessel (loaded with a few robotic submersibles) will soon be headed to the Arctic to search for signs of life on what WHOI dubs “…the seafloor of the world’s most isolated ocean.” The Swedish icebreaker Oden will serve as the transportation for a 30-member research team and a trio of new autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) developed for the mission: the Jaguar (pictured), the Puma and the CAMPER.

The 40-day mission — officially called the Arctic Gakkel Vents Expedition (AGAVE) begins on July 1st. One wonders if the WHOI folks anticipated a mission acronym that reminds people of tequila (which is created from the fermented sap of a blue agave plant) more than deep-water hydrothermal vent research, but I digress.

The Chief Scientist of the mission is WHOI geophysicist Robert Reves-Sohn, who summarized the focus of the mission in this comment from the news release:

“This is an exciting opportunity to explore and study a portion of Earth’s surface that has been largely inaccessible to science,” said Reves-Sohn. “Any biological habitats at hydrothermal vent fields along the Gakkel Ridge have likely evolved in isolation for tens of millions of years. We may have the opportunity to lay eyes on completely new life forms that have been living in the abyss beneath the Arctic ice pack.”

Kidding about the mission acronym aside, this expedition looks like a promising use of robotic technology to help researchers unlock the secrets of life in extreme environments, which could have numerous benefits for robotic exploration in other areas. NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) must agree, as both are contributing significant amounts of funding for the program. (Source: WHOI) – [Jeff James]

If you’re a Mecha/BattleTech fan who is eagerly looking forward to the day when giant walking robots are stomping about the ravaged battlefields of a post-apocalyptic earth, your dream came just one tiny step (or more accurately: a few stumbling, rattling steps) closer to fruition.

As shown on YouTube, an enterprising Japanese inventor has managed to build a functional walking ‘mech-type vehicle, complete with gasoline engine and joystick power. The vehicle doesn’t exactly walk — it moves by sliding its feet forward, shuddering and shaking with each step (sort of like everyone’s crazy Uncle Larry during his first go-round at the local skating rink).

It’s also armed with a gatling gun and an autocannon, both powered by compressed air and able to launch balls at nearby targets. The inventor is obviously preparing the vehicle to help defend the Earth from hostile takeover by pixelated aliens, as the target shown in the video is plastered with the blocky antagonist from the Space Invaders game.

All kidding aside, this is one impressive creation. Granted, it’s a bit wobbly and shaky, but if a few dedicated Japanese Mecha fans can build something like this, what could the Pentagon and DARPA do with a few $Billion and 10-20 years of development?  (Source: YouTube) – [Jeff James]

When you first hear the phrase underwater logging, you may think of underwater basket-weaving, that often joked about imaginary college course. Unlike the weaving of baskets, however, harvesting lumber underwater has proven to be a viable (and profitable) business for Triton Logging, a Canadian forestry equipment firm.

Many trees are submerged in dams and reservoirs, and Triton developed a unique robotic tool to handle the work of cutting and retreiving the wood: the Sawfish. According to Triton, the Sawfish is the world’s only deep-water logging machine and combines “…proven elements from timber-harvesting and submarine vehicle technology on an innovative platform.”

Operating by remote control, the Sawfish is maneuvered into position to grasp a viable piece of lumber. An airbag is attached and inflated above the cut point, then the sawfish cuts the timber. The log (with airbag attached) shoots to the surface, where it can be easily harvested.

Check out this Globe and Mail story (or Triton Logging) for more information on this impressive machine. (Source: Triton Logging) – [Jeff James]

^{photos: © Triton Logging}

Not content to field yet another hulking behemoth in the upcoming 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge autonomous vehicle event, North Carolina State University has teamed with Lotus Engineering to build a modified Lotus Elise sportscar for their entry.

Check out this related DARPA Lotus Elise post for more information on the speedy driverless-vehicle to be, in addition to an extra photo or two of the impressive Elise.
(Source[s]: DrivelineBlog, NC State) – [Jeff James]
^{photo: © Group Lotus PLC}

In one of the coolest combinations of robotics, visual effects and advertising we’ve seen in some time, French automaker Citroen has produced not one, but two tv ads featuring the Citroen C4 (a small vehicle primarily available only in Europe) transforming into a Transformer-esque character.

In the first ad, the C4 does some warm-up exercises before busting out a funky dance routine. In the second ad (still image shown above) the car hops onto the ice for some speed skating practice. CGI house Embassy Visual Effects is credited with both spots, and rightfully earned a few awards for their work. (Source: Channel 4, Embassy VFX) – [Jeff James]

In news that will surely stoke the imaginations of SciFi novelists everywhere, AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama has news of a recent demonstration by Honda in Japan showing a robotic hand — connected to magnetic resonance imaging hardware (MRI) and some powerful software — that was able to replicate some simple hand gestures of the operator by reading his brainwaves.

Honda goes on to say in the article that the “brain-machine interface” technology could have applications in the auto industry (and for Honda’s car business) as well.