Yesterday, we spoke about "Grace, a robot with a nice name." Today, let me introduce Asimo, another robot with an equally nice name.
This one also comes from research, but not from a university. It has been built by Honda Motors, carries a price tag of over $1 million and only speaks Japanese.
Here is what Asimo looks like.
You might want to know how Asimo got its name.
Asimo stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, which is the kind of name engineers come up with due to a profound lack of foresight, usually after they've exhausted 10 years developing gyroscopes, software programming and electrical systems that could someday launch a race of killer droids. The name is meaningful, however, because it sums up the breakthrough that this robot represents.
Now, let's look at some of Asimo's achievements.
Since the beginning of the year the child-sized robot has appeared in numerous magazine ads and television spots in the United States and Japan. In February, Asimo rang the opening bell to mark the 25th anniversary of Honda's listing on the New York Stock Exchange. It sat patiently for the paparazzi and waved to the crowd. It was the first nonliving entity to reign over Wall Street's closest thing to a religious ceremony (though that dog from Taco Bell seems debatable), and it was, quite simply, flawless.
It can walk. Really walk. Asimo makes a turn by leaning into it, as opposed to an abrupt stop and several shuffling motions that eventually point it in the right direction. It easily climbs stairs and navigates narrow corridors without losing its balance. This means it can also dance, not like Michael Jackson or 'N Sync, but it has moves, sort of the way Devo had moves.
So you want one? You'll have to wait -- and get some cash.
"It is not available for sale," says Steven Keeney, a spokesman for the American Honda division. "Honestly, we don't have a timeline right now. It's a new technology.
Source: Bret Schulte, The Washington Post, August 3, 2002
5:22:10 PM
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