ASIMOASIMO

Want a robot to cook your dinner, Do your homework, Clean your house,

Or get your groceries? Robots already do a lot of the jobs that we humans don't

want to do, can't do, or simply can't do as well as our robotic counterparts. In factories around the world, disembodied robot arms assemble cars, delicately place candies into their boxes, and do all sorts of

tedious jobs.

Many of us grew up watching robots on Many of us grew up watching robots on TV and in the movies:TV and in the movies:

Rosie, the Jetsons' robot housekeeper;

Data, the android crewmember on "Star Trek: The Next Generation“

C3PO from "Star Wars"

The Honda Motor Company developed ASIMO, which stands for

Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, and is the most advanced

humanoid robot in the world. According to the ASIMO Web site, ASIMO is the first humanoid robot

in the world that can walk independently and climb stairs

In addition to ASIMO's ability to walk like In addition to ASIMO's ability to walk like we do, it can also we do, it can also

Understand preprogrammed gestures and spoken commands

Recognize voices Recognize faces Interface with IC Communication cards.

ASIMO has arms and hands so it can do things like turn on light switches, open doors, carry

objects, and push carts.

Rather than building a robot that would be another toy, Honda wanted to create a

robot that would be a helper for people -- a robot to help around the house, help the

elderly, or help someone confined to a wheelchair or bed. ASIMO is 4 feet 3

inches (1.3 meters) high, which is just the right height to look eye to eye with

someone seated in a chair. This allows ASIMO to do the jobs it was created to do

without being too big and menacing.

WALKING LIKE A HUMANWALKING LIKE A HUMAN

Honda researchers began by studying the legs of insects, mammals, and the motion of a mountain climber with prosthetic legs to better understand the physiology and

all of the things that take place when we walk -- particularly in the joints. For example, the fact that we shift our weight using our bodies and especially our

arms in order to balance was very important in getting ASIMO's walking mechanism right. The fact that we

have toes that help with our balance was also taken into consideration: ASIMO actually has soft projections on its feet that play a similar role to the one our toes play when we walk. This soft material also absorbs impact on the joints, just as our soft tissues do when we walk.

ASIMO has hip, knee, and foot joints. Robots have joints that researchers refer to as "degrees of freedom." A single degree of freedom allows

movement either right and left or up and down. ASIMO has 34 degrees of freedom spread over

different points of its body in order to allow it to move freely. There are three degrees of freedom in ASIMO's

neck, seven on each arm and six on each leg. The number of degrees of freedom necessary for ASIMO's legs was decided by measuring human joint movement

while walking on flat ground, climbing stairs and running.

ASIMO’S SENSESASIMO’S SENSES

ASIMO's vision system consists of two basic video cameras for eyes, located in its head. ASIMO uses stereoscopic vision and a proprietary vision

algorithm that lets it see, recognize, and avoid running into objects even if their orientation and lighting are not

the same as those in its memory database. These cameras can detect multiple objects, determine distance, perceive motion, recognize programmed faces and even interpret

hand motions. For example, when you hold your hand up to ASIMO in a "stop" position, ASIMO stops. The

facial recognition feature allows ASIMO to greet "familiar" people.

CONTINUED….CONTINUED….

ASIMO is not an autonomous robot. It can't enter a room and make decisions on its

own about how to navigate. ASIMO either has to be programmed to do a specific job in a specific area that has markers that it

understands, or it has to be manually controlled by a human.

ASIMO can be controlled by four ASIMO can be controlled by four methods:methods:

PC Wireless controller (sort of like

a joystick) Gestures Voice commands

ASIMO can recognize and react to several gestures and body postures, allowing users to command ASIMO nonverbally. You can point to a particular spot you want ASIMO

to walk towards, for example, and it will follow your lead. If you wave to ASIMO, it will respond with a wave of its own. It can even recognize when you want to shake its

hand.

ASIMO’S FUTUREASIMO’S FUTURE

As development continues on ASIMO, today Honda demonstrates ASIMO around the world to encourage

and inspire young students to study the sciences. And in the future, ASIMO may serve as another set of eyes, ears, hands and legs for all kinds of people in need.

Someday ASIMO might help with important tasks like assisting the elderly or a person confined to a bed or a wheelchair. ASIMO might also perform certain tasks that are dangerous to humans, such as fighting fires or

cleaning up toxic spills.

FOR ADDITIONAL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ASIMO INFORMATION ON ASIMO

VISITVISIT::

http://asimo.honda.com/default.aspx