Battery Powered Robot Climbs Grand Canyon

The Evolta Robot is the mascot for Panasonic's new Evolta batteries. He's cute, has a wonky eye, and can climb. The company says the new battery cell - called Evolta, combining "evolution" and "voltage" - can keep gadgets running 20 percent longer than offerings from rivals Duracell and Energizer.


Guinness World Records certified Evolta as "the longest-lasting AA alkaline battery cell," based on testing under guidelines set by the industry's International Electrotechnical Commission this year.

To prove the long-lastingness of his batteries, the 5-ounce, 7-inch robot climbed a rope dangling in the Grand Canyon for as long as he could. When his batteries finally crapped out, he had climbed 1,740 feet over the span of 6 hours, 46 minutes. One onlooker had this to say about the feat: "That was the most boring fucking thing I've ever seen."