The world's favourite robot, ASIMO, just turned 10

Advertisement
By Associated Press | Updated: 5 June 2012 02:22 IST
Highlights
  • He can dance, run and even conduct an orchestra. The multi-talented robot ASIMO is now 10 years old and during his first decade, he has constantly been upgraded to show off new skills and display the technical capability of his makers Honda.
He can dance, run and even conduct an orchestra.

The multi-talented robot ASIMO is now 10 years old and during his first decade, he has constantly been upgraded to show off new skills and display the technical capability of his makers Honda.

Honda Motor Co. has made robotics a centre piece of its image, sending ASIMO to events and starring the walking, talking robot in TV ads.

ASIMO was created by Japanese manufactures, Honda. The name comes from the acronym Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility and is also a play on the Japanese word for "legs".

The robot, which looks like a 4-foot-tall child in a space suit, can walk hand-in-hand with a human, balance on one foot, push a tray and run four miles (6 kilometres) per hour.

"We decided to make a humanoid robot because we are living in an environment that we designed for us and we think that having a machine which is looking like us will give much better results as well, because this robot will be able to open a door, or to open a drawer exactly like we do," said William de Braekeleer, corporate communications manager at Honda Motor Europe Ltd.

Honda has been working on robots since 1986 and before ASIMO's debut the company had already unveiled humanoid robots in various guises: The EO robot in 1986, P1 robot in 1993, of P2 robot in 1996 and P3 robot 1997.

On October 31 2000, ASIMO was created and presented to the media on November 20 the same year.  In the following years various updates of the robot were routinely presented to a fascinated world.

In 2002 it could also recognise faces with its camera eyes. By 2004 the cute childlike android was running and the following year he made his debut as a waiter.

But dancing is ASIMO's favourite hobby.

In 2009 he showed off his skills as a mind reader.

The Honda Research Institute presented a promotional video showing technology that reads patterns of electric currents on a person's scalp as well as changes in cerebral blood flow when a person thinks about four simple movements - moving the right or left hand, running and eating.

Honda says that ASIMO succeeded in analysing such thought patterns, relayed to the robot as wireless commands.

In the video a person wearing a special helmet sat still but thought about moving his right hand - a thought that was picked up by cords attached to his head inside the helmet.

ASIMO, programmed to respond to brain signals, was shown to have lifted its right arm after several seconds.

Honda eventually intends its robots to be companions for the elderly and others in need, such as schoolchildren navigating crosswalks.

The Japanese government has been pushing companies and researchers to make robotics a pillar of the nation's business. 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: ASIMO, Honda, Honda robot
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Xiaomi 18 Pro Series Debuts With Flagship Snapdragon Chipset at This Price
  2. iQOO 16, iQOO Pad Ultra Confirmed to Get Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC
  1. Tecno EllaClaw Gets Customised Workflows for Research, Scripts and Social Media
  2. Google Messages Could Get a Redesigned Interface With Gemini and Search Changes
  3. iQOO 16, iQOO Pad Ultra Confirmed to Get Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC
  4. BitMEX Halts Crypto Trading, but Keeps Withdrawals Open Following Closure
  5. OpenAI Launches GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna With Lower Prices, Improved Performance
  6. Star Wars Zero Company Is Estimated to Have Sold 1 Million Copies Since Launch
  7. Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, Xiaomi 18 Pro Launched With Up to 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC, Privacy Display
  8. Select Asus and ROG Laptops Get 3-Month Google AI Pro, AI Plus Subscription in India
  9. Bitpace Brings Fireblocks Onboard for Stablecoin Settlements
  10. Vivo S2 FE Could Launch in India Alongside the Vivo V80; Price, Key Specifications Tipped
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.