ASIMO

Honda develops new personal mobility device – the U3-X experimental vehicle

By Mike Hanlon

04:22 October 3, 2009 PDT

A self-balancing unicycle experimental vehicle from Honda to be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show next month might just be history in the making. Weighing less than 10kg, the 24 by 12 by 6-inch U3-X experimental vehicle runs for an hour, is small enough to be carried onto an airplane as hand luggage, has a wheel which spins in two planes and is set to challenge, perhaps even change, society’s concept of personal mobility. Read More

Honda’s prototype walking assist devices to go on show in the US

By David Greig

00:45 April 16, 2009 PDT

With increasing numbers of post-war baby boomers beginning to face old age, devices assisting people remain mobile as they grow older will become big business. Honda, which started out making motorcycles, has anticipated the needs of an aging population and invested heavily in mobility robotics research. The company is planning to demonstrate its prototype walking assist devices as part of a technical exhibition at the 2009 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress, at Detroit's Cobo Center, from April 20 to 23. Read More

Honda's Brain-Machine Interface: controlling robots by thoughts alone

By Loz Blain

00:25 April 2, 2009 PDT

Honda has taken some very significant steps into what could be an absolute revolution in human-computer interface. Honda Research Institute, Japan, has demonstrated a Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) that enables a user to control an ASIMO robot using nothing more than thought. Wearing a headset containing both electroencephalography (EEG) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensors, the user simply imagines moving either his right hand, left hand, tongue or feet - and ASIMO makes a corresponding movement. The system is still huge and slow, and the commands are quite crude and imprecise - but Honda's baby steps represent a huge leap in technology. The next task is to refine the system to work with fine motor controls, add the ability to decode non-motor brain signals and speed it all up. Then, the doors will be open for a whole range of machines that can sense your thoughts, intentions and feelings, and act directly upon them. BMI has staggering potential - this is just the beginning. Read More

Honda launches 360-degree, interactive look at ASIMO

By Noel McKeegan

17:45 February 12, 2009 PST

Those of you who (like us) have followed the development of Honda's ASIMO humanoid robot might be interested in a new "Inside ASIMO" feature now available on the bipedal bot's website. The feature uses a 3D computer-generated model to provide an interactive look at ASIMO's form, function, movement and intelligence capabilities, outlining the technology that enables the robot to, among other things, climb stairs, run, avoid obstacles, recognize faces and distinguish sounds. Read More

49-foot tall ASIMO rolls into California

By Noel McKeegan

19:43 December 21, 2008 PST

Although first and foremost a platform for humanoid robotic development, Honda's ASIMO has increasingly found itself in a PR role in recent times - a World tour, conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and a Disneyland stage show have all been on the agenda for the stair climbing, hand shaking bot. In its latest gig, a gargantuan 49-foot tall ASIMO float will greet onlookers at the upcoming Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Read More

MACS project aims to revolutionize robotic perception

By Kyle Sherer

00:17 April 28, 2008 PDT

The Multi-sensory Autonomous Cognitive Systems project is an attempt to imprint robots with the ability to understand the affordances of objects in their environment - or the physical qualities of an object, and the tasks it can be used for. It is hoped that this new approach to computer perception will allow robots to perceive more interaction possibilities, giving them the cognitive tools they need to successfully improvise and interact with their environment in a more human manner. Read More

ASIMO to conduct the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

By Emily Clark

19:29 April 23, 2008 PDT

After an extended world tour in 2007, Honda’s ASIMO humanoid robot will show off its skills in 2008 by conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO). ASIMO will lead the Orchestra as it performs “Impossible Dream” to open a special concert performance with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma as a way to highlight the DSO’s nationally acclaimed music programs for young people in Detroit. Read More

Rodent-like robots - BIOTACT attempts to mechanically replicate the impressive whiskers of the rat

By Kyle Sherer

22:23 February 20, 2008 PST

Robotics researchers are taking design tips from one of nature’s less majestic creatures: the rat. The EU funded €5.4 million BIOTACT project, which was launched at the beginning of this year, is seeking to replicate the rat’s highly efficient whisker system, which can accurately determine the shape of objects and help capture prey. Read More

Honda's ASIMO: am I seeing double?

By Emily Clark

16:07 December 13, 2007 PST

December 14, 2007 Honda has announced a further update to its advanced humanoid robot platform. The latest incarnation of ASIMO has added intelligence technology allowing it to autonomously perform services such as carrying a tray or pushing a cart, work together with fellow robots to share and complete tasks through a constant sharing of information, and even predict the movements of oncoming people and decide for itself how best to stay out of the way. Read More

Asimo's world tour continues

By Emily Clark

00:33 October 8, 2007 PDT

October 8, 2007 ASIMO is quite possibly the world’s busiest non-human celebrity with recent appearances in Estonia, the Isle of Man, Barcelona and even Disneyland in the US as part of a stage show. His world tour continues with a trip now planned to the land downunder, Australia. Read More

Honda's new generation ASIMO robot goes to Disneyland

By Emily Clark

04:52 August 30, 2007 PDT

August 30, 2007 A new version of Honda’s popular humanoid robot, ASIMO, is now appearing in its very own stage show at Disneyland in California. Twenty years in the making, the first generation ASIMO has undergone numerous improvements and has even appeared as a spokesperson for Honda , featuring in a series of television advertisements in the UK. Read More

Asimo - the perfect brand spokesperson

By Mike Hanlon

December 15, 2006 The world of personal robotics is drawing closer, with some estimates of the personal robotics industry putting it abreast with the world automotive industry two decades from now. Honda has already established itself as the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and has branched into a dozen different recreational and business markets as diverse as jet aeroplanes, jet skis, and industrial engines. Its biggest market may be yet to come, because it has been working diligently for 20 years in the development of a bipedal humanoid service robot named Asimo and if it works half as well as the rest of the company's products, it'll be one of the pioneers into the home when robotic servants reach mass commercialisation. Asimo is already a well known brand but when Honda begins airing 90 second commercials in the UK later this week, where Asimo becomes the ideal fully-owned, never-makes-a-mistake brand spokesperson, we figure history is being made. Asimo embodies the Honda attitude towards technology – warm, approachable, human, optimistic and always moving forward – as the Honda spokesperson, he will become the first publicly known robot on a global scale, and he’ll evolve publicly across all languages. Honda's new warmtechnology web site goes live today, and there are also five short films available at www.honda.co.uk. The series of webcasts introduce Asimo, and show how its warm approach has brought science and technology to a broad audience across the world. Read More

Honda Reveals Next Generation Asimo

By Mike Hanlon

December 15 2004 Honda Motor has released details of its next-generation ASIMO robot that has now been under development for 19 years and is widely regarded as the most advanced humanoid robot in the world. The new version processes information far quicker than previous models and is hence more capable of responding to real-world environments. ASIMO incorporates three new major technologies, including "Posture Control" technology, making it possible for ASIMO to run in a natural, human-like way, "Autonomous Continuous Movement" technology, enabling ASIMO to choose a flexible route to a given destination and enhanced visual and force sensor technologies, enabling ASIMO to smoothly interact with people. Read More

Twenty years in the making - ASIMO the humanoid robot

By Mike Hanlon

Honda has come a long way towards realising its vision of creating a humanoid robot since its bi-pedal (two-legged) robot named "EO" successfully took its first steps in 1986. Culminating in ASIMO, the highly-advanced, stair climbing, hand shaking humanoid robot Read More