During Barack Obama’s recent state visit to Japan, the US President was introduced to another pioneer: ASIMO. The encounter took place at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, themes synonymous with Japan and embodied by Honda’s advanced humanoid robot. The President was a little taken aback when ASIMO greeted him in English, saying ‘Mr. President, I am ASIMO, a humanoid robot. It is a pleasure to meet you.’
ASIMO went on to demonstrate many of his most complex moves and even played football – the round sort, perhaps not the American President’s favourite. Later, the President admitted that ASIMO’s capabilities and humanoid appearance were, at first, quite a shock. ‘I have to say that the robots were a little scary – too lifelike,’ he smiled. ‘They were amazing.’
ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) is the world’s most advanced bipedal robot and can negotiate stairs, walk, run, and jump. Honda is determined that one day the ASIMO programme will create an affordable and extremely useful family of robots which can be used by people with mobility restrictions to ease and enhance their everyday lives.
Honda first began to design a walking bipedal robot in 1986, a task many robotics engineers said would be impossible. Once the technique was proven, the first ASIMO was introduced in 2000 and the evolution continues. The latest ASIMO can recognise faces, respond to instructions, avoid moving objects, negotiate uneven surfaces, grasp objects and manipulate them (for example opening the lid of a bottle). The dream of ASIMO-type robots helping those in most need is still some way from fruition, but the journey continues and the development gets faster every day. The robots are coming and we’re going to like them.
