Introducing BeatBot, PUMA’s “raceable” robot

Usain Bolt has finally met his match…and it arrives in the form of a robot.

Puma has launched BeatBot, a device designed by a group of MIT engineering graduates to push professional runners to their limits. The company continues it’s Forever Faster campaign by introducing a visual target to challenge on the racetrack, not just time on a stopwatch:

“Everyone runs faster when there’s something to beat, but how do you beat a record when you can’t see it?”, the video asks.

The device was created by Puma’s advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson, and is accompanied by a smartphone app where the user simply enters the distance and the time to beat. The miniature robot then automatically follows the lines on racing tracks and pushes runners to hit any pace, and eclipse it.

GoPro cameras and LED lights are fitted to the front and rear, allowing athletes to see the device in their peripheral vision and review their performance after the race. Wearable technology is playing a growing role in sport all over the world.

Fitbit and Apple Watch are enabling runners to track their fitness progress on screens, but Puma only ask that you look ahead. It’s not wearable tech, it’s “raceable” tech – check out the video below.

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Toby Marriott
Toby Marriott 91 posts

Toby is an Account Executive at Snack Media and Editor of Digital Sport. Follow him on Twitter @TobyMarriott

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