Robots to compete against humans in Ironman triathlon race

As if computers trouncing Jeopardy champions and making chess kings look like pawns wasn't bad enough, now robots will be 'competing' in the grueling Ironman race.  Panasonic, seeking to promote their brand of rechargeable batteries, will pit mini-robots against world-class athletes in the vaunted triathlon in Hawaii next month, TechCrunch reported. But the real athletes don't have to worry - the robots won't be setting any speed records; they're expected to take a week to finish the race. 

But just look how cute they are!

Three different robots will take part in the contest, each specifically designed to perform a part of the three-leg race. The Ironman race is a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon.  So far, computers and robots seem a whole lot better at thinking and calculating than they do at running & swimming... so far.