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Panasonic▓s Evolta: Unstoppable Bar Rain, Stairs and Eneloop?
21.11.2010
The miniature green robot, standing a full 17 centimeters (6.7-inch) tall, is pulling his cart along a 500-kilometer (300-mile) route connecting Tokyo to Kyoto.Evolta-kun’s epic journey on the Tokaido, one of Japan’s ancient thoroughfares, is part of a marketing campaign by Panasonic Corp. to promote its Evolta rechargeable batteries. At each of the route’s 53 stages where a weary traveler would once stop for food and lodging, Evolta-kun recharges its batteries (literally).
This being Japan, even the robot mascot has his own crew of costume-wearing female models (the Evolta Sisters), an exclusive theme song (We, Challengers) and, of course, a daily comic strip. The robot travels with an entourage of five staff. One ‘Evolta Sister’ pushes a cart that emits an infra-red signal to control the robot’s direction; two members are in charge of checking for safety and two cameramen chronicle every robotic step of his journey.
There are rules: Evolta-kun stops at red lights. It doesn’t walk at night or in the rain. The robot can’t climb stairs. (With regards to stairs, a staff member will carry it by hand,” according to the rules.)
After starting its adventure on Sept. 23 in Tokyo, Evolta-kun has completed 48 of the 53 stages and it is expected to reach the finish line in Kyoto on the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 22. Panasonic warns that rain could slow its progress.This is the third straight year that Panasonic has run an Evolta robot campaign. In 2008, it shimmied up a rope from the bottom of the Grand Canyon all the way to the top. Last year, it rode a three-wheeled buggy to complete the 24-hour endurance test on France’s Le Mans Circuit on two AA batteries.
This year’s campaign, however, has a strong social-media bent to it. You can keep an eye on the robot in real time on Ustream, track its progress on Twitter by following the tweets of staff members and watch videos about Evolta-kun on YouTube.
Before you get too attached to the fearless robot, this campaign may unfortunately be Evolta-kun’s last adventure. Panasonic is close to completing its acquisition of Sanyo Electric Co., which has a well-known rechargeable battery brand, Eneloop, of its own. A Panasonic spokesman said nothing had been decided about how the two companies planned to integrate the consumer battery operations.
By Daisuke Wakabayashi
Source: Japan Realtime
Photos: Japan Realtime
Photos: Japan Realtime
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