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Honda Updates ASIMO

Posted by samzenpus on from the finally-chasing-speed dept.

kosmicki writes "Honda Motor Co. today announced the development of new technologies for the next-generation ASIMO humanoid robot, targeting a new level of mobility that will better enable ASIMO to function and interact with people by quickly processing information and acting more nimbly in real-world environments."

13 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. Homework? by tyman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can it to my homework and clean my room for me yet?

    1. Re:Homework? by Soko · · Score: 4, Funny

      Can it to my homework and clean my room for me yet?

      Sigh.

      I sincerely hope that the new ASIMO also includes a "Smack in the back of the head for being a dumbass" spell checker and a "Put a whuppin' on this kids sorry, lazy ass" module as well.

      Soko

      --
      "Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm." - Anonymous
  2. I could use these too... by cmeans · · Score: 4, Funny
    From the article:

    Key technologies include:
    1) "Posture Control" technology* making it possible to run in a natural human-like way
    2) "Autonomous Continuous Movement" technology enabling flexible route to destination
    3) Enhanced visual and force sensor technologies enabling smoother interaction with people

    These are all things I need too...maybe I can get an upgrade.

    --
    Give a hand, not a hand-out.
  3. Anyone... by JavaMoose · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Anyone in the Robotics/Automation industry, I have a question.

    Does the ASIMO actually advance the field of robotics? Does it come out with revolutionary advances, or just build on those of others?

    I don't mean to take anything away from the ASIMO, it's pretty slick, but is it a beacon or a distraction for "real" robotics?

    1. Re:Anyone... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm someone in the robotics field, and yes it does, the same way everything in all research fields improves: gradually.

      ASIMO provides a solid platform for researching humanoid motion control, mechanisms for humanoid robots, human-robot interaction, and robot-environment interaction. The researchers who work on it make advances in all these areas, just like the researchers who work on the Qrio, or any other robotic platform make advances in their areas.

      Being a handy marketing tool is merely a side benefit of developing all these technologies that will be extremely useful in the future when Honda wants to be a big player in the robotics industry. It's called "thinking longterm."

    2. Re:Anyone... by dubious9 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's newsworthy primarily because it's in humanoid form

      As I replied below, replicating human form and movement is a tremendously difficult engineering task. A PR move? I don't think so. I believe I've heard that honda is planning to move human-like robots into their factories to revolutionize efficiency. General purpose robots that can move like humans and react intellegently to narrow tasks could drive down manufacturing costs through the floor.

      Plus they are doing world-leading research on the advancement of human-like movement. Sorry if I sound like a fanboy, but they've put little advertizing dollars into it for it to be a PR move. However, they've spent billions developing it. They sure expect that investment to pay off down the line. I'm not sure I blame them.

      --
      Why, o why must the sky fall when I've learned to fly?
  4. Still with the helmet? by TheShadowHawk · · Score: 3, Funny

    Looks like they are slowly getting better..

    Should be interesting once the robots start looking like Robin Williams or (gasp!) Haley Joel Osment.

    Hmm..

    --
    Friends don't let Friends use Internet Explorer.
  5. Videos by r_glen · · Score: 5, Informative

    You can see videos of Asimo in action (including his new "tricks") at the Honda site.

  6. Re:Time for a Butlerian Jihad by UniverseIsADoughnut · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm waiting for the first ASIMO to get on one of those Toyota Walker things from a few weeks ago. Robot riding a robot while killing us all, and with a Hello Kitty theme to the horror.

  7. Government sponsered, privately built by Scrameustache · · Score: 3, Informative

    Japan has a government sponsored humanoid robot devellopment project. And it seems that rivalry between the major corporation also fuels the R&D.

    Honda's Asimo is the best of the bunch, but Sony has a doll sized little "entertainment" robot, and Toyota has a trumpet playing robot, not to mention all the universities working on various robotic sub-projects, like facial expression and whatnot (I thought disney's animatronics had the expressiveness thing figured out, maybe my memory has embelished them somewhat).

    Asimov expected the U.S. to be the leader in humanoid robots, he couldn't have foreseen this shift in technological leadership, but at least Honda named their creation after him : )

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

    1. Re:Government sponsered, privately built by Scrameustache · · Score: 3, Informative
      He isn't named after Asimov. The name ASIMO is japanese; it means something like "with legs".

      There's a japanese leg pun in there too, but it is named after Asimov.

      From Wikipedia:
      The robot's name is a backronym in honor of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, maker of the Three Laws of Robotics. Officially, the name stands for "Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility". In Japanese, the name is pronounced ashimo and, not coincidentally, means "legs also".
      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

  8. Re:nice and smooth! by michaeldot · · Score: 4, Funny

    movement of new asimo looks very fluid ... chasing a Japanese chick

    Oh dear, so it's come to this. Geeks don't even bother chasing girls themselves, they program their robots to do it.

  9. I saw ASIMO "in person": it's semi-autonomous by Nomihn0 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The routine was preprogrammed and triggered remotely from backstage over a broadband wireless connection. Everything was scripted - the floor was plastered in tape to help the human actors perform correctly. A few of the markers were triggers for ASIMO to orient itself with before demonstrating an action. It was explained to the crowd that some half-dozen technicians were working backstage, keeping the thing going the whole time.

    Now, many of the feats (climbing stairs, walking across a see saw, walking in circles, bracing for a fall) were calculated on the fly by ASIMO. You have to give Honda credit for succeeding in that, but overall ASIMO is just an overblown animatronic puppet.

    At least half a year ago, I saw a video of ASIMO jogging. Although the jogging was a joke as a mode of locomotion, it was an interesting demonstration of balance. My question is, how much has ASIMO changed since then? The video of the new ASIMO running looks suspiciously similar to the old one. I have the feeling that this "next-generation" ASIMO is far more capable than these new video demonstrations convey.