Video: Asimo robot runs, hops and uses sign language
It鈥檚 what鈥檚 on the inside that counts. It might look very like the older models, but the latest evolution on Honda鈥檚 iconic white android, Asimo, combines athletic running with a delicate and dextrous touch.
Satoshi Shigemi, the robot鈥檚 lead developer, the little robot has advanced from an 鈥渁utomatic machine鈥� to an 鈥渁utonomous machine鈥�.
Asimo can now look at what鈥檚 around and modify its behaviour accordingly 鈥� for example, to avoid colliding with a person walking towards it. Its sensitive hands can grasp a paper cup without crushing it and it is fluent in both American and Japanese sign language.
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It has even beaten its own world record for a humanoid robot鈥檚 running speed, now clocking in at 9 kilometres per hour.
Honda launched the first Asimo in 2000, with past breakthroughs including planning a route through a constantly changing environment and recognising up to three voices at a time.
Asimo may ultimately be more fun than it is practical, but the team is using many of the Asimo capabilities for other applications, including robotic prosthetics.
