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New, More Autonomous Asimo Robot Unveiled By Honda

Posted by Soulskill on from the can-now-kill-all-humans dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Honda has just unveiled a new, upgraded version of its famous humanoid robot, Asimo. Its appearance didn't change much, but the new robot is lighter, faster, and stronger. It can walk on uneven surfaces, run backwards, and even jump on one foot. The new Asimo also has more dexterous hands and better image and voice recognition to interact with people. Honda's big push is clearly in the direction of making Asimo more autonomous, and useful, in human environments."

45 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. Combo by ossuary · · Score: 2

    I want to see Asimo riding atop an Alpha Dog. Just preferably, not towards me with a "kill all humans" sign.

    1. Re:Combo by peragrin · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I would rather see Asimo and alpha dog walking into a highly dangerous area and doing the work that man needs to do but really can't safely.

      --
      i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
    2. Re:Combo by geekoid · · Score: 1

      Don't worry, there won't be a sign.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    3. Re:Combo by guzzibill · · Score: 1

      well... Asimo and SIRI combined might give us a real head-start to human interfacing autonomous robots. It would have to do more than follow you around and perform phone tricks and web searches on command, but as a personal assistant?????? .... Apple should outright BUY honda. Damn I really don't want to have to buy Apple stock at it's present value, but I've always indicated to my children that if you broad-buy robotic company stock, you'll eventually wind up millionaires.

      --
      computer systems : cradle-to-grave
    4. Re:Combo by 0111+1110 · · Score: 1

      Actually Japan is generally far ahead of the US in robotics. And you can actually buy ASIMO for around the price of a car. Show me a single product that a civilian can buy from Boston Dynamics. As cool as and as uncanny valley as Petman and Big Dog/Alpha Dog are , they are not interested in any market but the US military.

      And I bet ASIMO is much more practical. You couldn't even find out what Petman is capable of without a security clearance and a need to know, but I doubt it is anywhere near as advanced in terms of intelligence as ASIMO. And at the moment Petman is still dragging wires behind itself.

      --
      Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
    5. Re:Combo by citizenr · · Score: 1

      Petman doesnt need strong AI. They can make remote controlled land drone out of it with some 18 year old child serving in Military driving it like Predator.
      Imagine the possibilities. It can run around killing innocent people with M16, and as soon as someone shoots back its an act of aggression against United States!

      --
      Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
  2. Just wait for it, by HeckRuler · · Score: 1

    New, Less Autonomous Honda Corporation Unveiled by Asimo!

    1. Re:Just wait for it, by 517714 · · Score: 1

      I'll wait for version five - predictably, the AsimoV. I figure by then it will truly be autonomous.

      --
      The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
  3. So cool... by guybrush3pwood · · Score: 2

    It looks like some kid with a costume.

    --
    Perhaps I'm trolling, perhaps I'm not.
  4. I want one by kehren77 · · Score: 1

    I have no idea what I'd do with it, but I want one. If anyone was looking for a Christmas gift idea for me, look no further.

    1. Re:I want one by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      I have no idea what I'd do with it,

      When in doubt, try to hump it. It works for my dog.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    2. Re:I want one by demonbug · · Score: 1

      I have no idea what I'd do with it,

      When in doubt, try to hump it. It works for my dog.

      Why did you get a dog if you don't know what to do with it? Also, reporting you to the SPCA...

    3. Re:I want one by need4mospd · · Score: 1

      I know exactly what I'd do. Get a divorce!

    4. Re:I want one by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      Also, reporting you to the SPCA

      Go ahead. They will see exactly how mistreated my dog is... she's had her ovaries and uterus removed, but that doesn't stop her from trying to shine everyone's shoes.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    5. Re:I want one by savuporo · · Score: 1

      Dude. Get this one
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvbAqw0sk6M

      And you will know IMMEDIATELY what you'd do with it.

      Eyes on the hips as she walks ..

      --
      http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slashdot.org Errors found while checking this document as HTML5!
  5. 9 kph running speed by CubicleView · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm genuinely impressed, that's faster than a lot of people are able to jog at.

    1. Re:9 kph running speed by andr00oo · · Score: 1

      that's faster than a lot of people are able to jog at.

      Great, so when it hits a bug and I need to reboot it I'll have to get in the car if I want to catch it.

    2. Re:9 kph running speed by gajop · · Score: 1

      Yeah, sure, it is indeed fast, but it does feel like the aim Asimo has is to achieve all goals and solve all problems modern of modern AI and robotics. Focusing on complex terrain walking, jumping, object manipulation, image and voice recognition and probably many more things not seen in the video is too much. And the problem of doing so many things in once is that once you fail one thing, the whole robot becomes of variable usability - if it fails walking, trips and falls, it will be of little use to people (same applies for failing to properly comprehend commands or detect objects). In comparison to the american (from my European standpoint) projects, like the grand DARPA challenges that aim to solve only a few things at once and may be aiming at a near future practical usage : autonomous cars, I feel Asimo will remain out of any real practical usage for a long time, until every single of those things has been nearly perfected.

    3. Re:9 kph running speed by CubicleView · · Score: 1

      I don’t fully agree with you. The aim is to create a humanoid robot, and that goal necessitates the solving of several problems of modern AI. This will take a long time (and ASIMO may not be the platform to do it), but long before then, much of what they learn in the process will find its way into practical products.

  6. I, for one by Tyrannosaur · · Score: 1

    welcome just kidding that was so old a very long time ago...

  7. It can even by oodaloop · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you look at the pics in TFA, it seems Asimo can also mix drinks, throw up the horns, and hit on multiple chicks at once.

    --
    Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
  8. South Park did it! by JoshDM · · Score: 1

    South Park already did this with Awesome-o!

    Evidence: Awesome-O

  9. Re:Some of the competition's products are better by CubicleView · · Score: 2

    They're not so good with stairs though.

  10. Great! But does it behave? by TuringTest · · Score: 1

    Now how will we guarantee that it doesn't injure humans? I don't care that it may, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; that would be like having no robot.

    What I want to see is a robot design that won't go berserk if its control program throws an exception, making it move its powerful arms uncontrolled or fail to recognize were its fellow humans are located.

    --
    Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    1. Re:Great! But does it behave? by ejoosten · · Score: 1

      I think the safest way to assure it doesn't harm humans is to make it light, small and not very strong like Asimo. There's no need to have an industrial strength robot doing the dishes or cleaning the house. If it can lift 10kg (a bucket of water) it's powerful enough for most household tasks and too feeble to do much damage even to children.

    2. Re:Great! But does it behave? by TuringTest · · Score: 1

      +1 lateral thinking. I must say that I had in mind some basic behavioral rule that would also prevent killer robots in the army, like the First Law did.

      --
      Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    3. Re:Great! But does it behave? by TuringTest · · Score: 1

      I am aware that the Three Laws didn't work as intended :-) That doesn't mean that having a core built-in safeguard is a bad idea.

      I wasn't suggesting fuzzy rules, an auto-kill command as you suggest would suffice. A recent robot movie, (Eva), on the lines of Spielberg's A.I., features a literal kill-switch triggered by a voice command, which proves itself useful in the narrative. But I doubt that the Asimo robot includes such a feature.

      --
      Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
  11. Asimo is cool... by BattleApple · · Score: 5, Insightful

    but I was hoping this upgrade would include "not walking like it's trying to suppress an explosive diarrhea incident".
    That would be my first priority.

    1. Re:Asimo is cool... by geekoid · · Score: 1

      And why you tried to make the one feature perfect, the woerld will leave you behind.

      Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    2. Re:Asimo is cool... by BattleApple · · Score: 2

      scratch that.. my first priority would be humor and sarcasm detection.

    3. Re:Asimo is cool... by Bowdie · · Score: 1

      sarcasm detection?

      Oh, THAT'S useful...

      --
      yes, www.dotcomforwardslash.com is my real URL.
  12. In real life... by MrEricSir · · Score: 1

    ...this is the worst you'd have to worry about:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASoCJTYgYB0

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
  13. Nice, but... by BlindSpot · · Score: 1

    Why is it that a company that can build something cool like that is the same one that says it'd take at least 6 freakin' weeks to build me a new Civic? That was AFTER the dealer tried to string me along of course. (Didn't work - I bought a Nissan instead.)

    Dear goodness I hope if/when they ever start mass-producing these that buying one isn't like buying a car. "Sorry we don't have that model and colour in stock right now but we do have the deluxe model Asimo with Chrome finishing. Oh and be sure to get the undercoating and rustproofing package on your Asimo for long-lasting protection."

  14. Direct to English from Japanese? by jaminJay · · Score: 1

    "Jumping on one foot" is normally called "hopping".

    --
    Leela: "Is all the work done by children?" Alien: "No, not the whipping."
  15. Price is? by RCC42 · · Score: 1

    Seriously, I looked on the website but couldn't find out how much an Asimo would cost... I mean, if there's just the one then that makes sense, but Honda is [i]Honda[/i]. It's not like they don't have any experience mass producing advanced machinery and electronics on some kind of assembly line.

    So how can I buy one? Not for personal use of course, it would be a corporate expense... which we would use.. somehow for something.

  16. Jumping, yay! No, wait... by fyngyrz · · Score: 1

    I am totally ready to buy -- even if it's *quite* expensive -- when I can buy a dependable robot in humanoid form that does all our housework. Wash (or load and start) the dishes, sweep/vacuum the floors, wash windows, do the laundry, sort and put away when clean, change the bedding and make the bed, clean the sinks, toilets, shower and tub, dust, polish the woodwork, bring coffee, cook and serve dinner, clean up afterwards, feed and water the cat, clean the catbox, be able to put away CDs and DVDs in alpha/title order, put away anything else where it goes, understand English at a decent level appropriate to its tasks, and be seriously off-putting (through the intercom) to religious folk and salespeople who come to the door.

    Doesn't have to do outdoor work like mow the lawn, etc., thing will probably be as expensive as my house, at least initially, so I don't think we'd be comfortable with it wandering around outside... and besides, there's plenty to do in the house. :o)

    If it's *really* humanoid, say french maid / english butler quality, I'll pay more.

    I mean, I'm glad they've got Asimo v.X jumping on one foot. That kind of dexterity has got to be there, along with everything else... but it sure doesn't make the sale for me.

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
    1. Re:Jumping, yay! No, wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Sign me up.

      But, seriously, such a device even as a research prototype is unfortunately several years if not decades away. Part of the problem is hardware (not the part doing the computation but the motors, etc.), but robotics hardware is far ahead of robotics software at the moment. (For a clear view of this, one of my friends who does robotics research pointed out that telepresence surgery---which requires rather good dexterity from the robot hand---works but no one is even seriously suggesting an automated robot surgeon outside of sci-fi.)

      Even the most basic tasks like reliably identifying and grasping objects are on the cutting edge of research. Machine vision and planning will have to get a lot better before a robot can know what it needs to do to complete household chores. Understanding even very simple natural language commands is also very much so in the early research stages.

      A sibling poster suggested hiring a servant, but that's not really the same. A robot does not have comparable privacy issues, can be available 24/7 (excepting power issues, but if it's always inside it can probably be plugged in most of the time), and, more importantly, can be very cheap. The first generation will be expensive, but the cost of software and CPUs tends to go down rapidly and by the time the software is good enough for those tasks, today's hardware (which is possibly already good enough) will probably be old and cheap.

    2. Re:Jumping, yay! No, wait... by fyngyrz · · Score: 1

      can be available 24/7 (excepting power issues, but if it's always inside it can probably be plugged in most of the time)

      Ultracaps: 1/10th the power of batteries, so 1/10th the run time, but... instant recharge, and effectively unlimited numbers of them. So the robot can drop a hand on a charge plate for about one second, then work for say, ten or twenty minutes. No need for it to have an extended run time if charging isn't a big issue.

      As for the rest, yes, exactly.

      --
      I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
    3. Re:Jumping, yay! No, wait... by camperdave · · Score: 1

      Asimo seems to blindly follow pre-programmed sequences of actions, like a clockwork mechanism rather than an adaptive system. This impresses me more.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    4. Re:Jumping, yay! No, wait... by fyngyrz · · Score: 2

      No, no, I've tried them... they just go up in smoke when you try to recharge them.

      --
      I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
  17. More Autonomous? Really? by Pete+Venkman · · Score: 1

    If it was really autonomous, wouldn't it unveil itself?

  18. Re:Getting there... by apn_k · · Score: 2

    You mean like th HRP-4C: http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/latest_research/2009/20090513/20090513.html

  19. environments by mcswell · · Score: 1

    "...making Asimo more autonomous, and useful, in human environments." So long as we're still useful in robotic environments.

  20. A-Siri-mo by a_hanso · · Score: 1

    Maybe we should couple Asimo with Siri. Maybe we'll end up with a wittier C3PO

  21. Karl's review by FromWithin · · Score: 1

    I can't help but recall the immortal words of Karl Pilkington on seeing the Asimo: "It walks like it's shit itself.".