Humans have been fascinated with robots for as long as I can remember. We make movies about them, they are featured in stories, some people have robot fetishes and some people even have sex with them. The goal of many companies in the robotics industry is to make a robot which acts and behaves like a human. Honda is one of the leaders in creating such technology and has been developing the ASIMO robot for years now.
Although we are still a long way from having a true human-like robot, it’s pretty creepy what the latest ASIMO robot is capable of. The latest ASIMO robot can now move without having an operator control it. The ASIMO was first introduced in 2000 and has now been developed to a point where the robot has the physical ability to adapt to various situations making it that much closer to a practical use for office tasks or in a public space.
The ASIMO robot is now at a point where it can walk on uneven surfaces, run, climb stairs, open bottles and pour drinks (I’m thinking bartender!), recognize multiple voices simultaneously, jump, hop on one leg, recognize faces, and so much more. The ASIMO is outfitted with multiple sensors that continuously evaluate its surroundings. The robot is actually able to predict situations and can determine the behavior or action it should take.
Honda engineers strengthened the legs of the ASIMO as well as expanded the range of leg movement. The control technology in the ASIMO also allows the robot to change its landing positions mid-movement. The hands of the robot feature tactile and force sensors embedded in the fingers and palm. Those sensors, working together with the object recognition technology, allow the robot to do complex tasks such as twisting off a cap of a container, or picking up and holding a delicate paper cup without damaging it.
Watch the video below and see for yourself how creepy, yet cool, the ASIMO robot is. It almost seems as if this is a trick and there is a small person inside the robot.
[Source: Honda ASIMO]
Exceptional! Asimo hooray!