WAKO, Japan — Honda’s human-shaped robot can now run faster, balance itself on uneven surfaces, hop on one foot and pour a drink. Some of its technology may even be used to help with cleanup operations at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.
Honda’s demonstration of the revamped “Asimo” on Tuesday at its suburban Tokyo research facility was not only to prove that the bubble-headed childlike machine was more limber and a bit smarter. It was a way to try to answer some critics that Asimo, first shown in 2000, had been of little practical use so far, proving to be nothing more than a glorified toy and cute showcase for the automaker’s brand.
Honda president Takanobu Ito said some of Asimo’s technology was used to develop a robotic arm that can open and close valves at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which went into meltdown after the March tsunami.
Asimo was able to walk without falling over padded bumps of less than an inch. It also can now jog faster than it did in 2005, at 5.6 mph, and to distinguish the voices of three people spoken at once, to figure out that one woman wanted hot coffee, another orange juice and another tea. The Associated Press; AP photos
