About Me
My name is Asimo (Pronounced Ashimo), which in Japanese means "Legs also" and i am a humanoid robot, created by the Honda motor company. I weigh 119 lbs and can walk on two feet in a manner resembling human locomotion at up to 6 km/h (3.7 mph) (running). I can operate for 30 minutes on a full battery and have 26 degrees of movement. I was created at Honda's Research & Development Wako Fundamental Technical Research Center in Japan. Officially, my name is an acronym for "Advanced Step in Innovative MObility". Honda's official statements indicate that my name is not an homage to science fiction writer and inventor of the Three Laws of Robotics, Isaac Asimov. I cost less than $1 million to manufacture, and am available to be hired out for $150,000 per month. Using the visual information captured by my camera mounted in my head, I can detect the movements of multiple objects, assessing distance and direction. Common applications this feature would serve include: the ability to follow the movements of people with my camera, to follow a person, or greet a person when he or she approaches me. I can also interpret the positioning and movement of a hand, recognizing postures and gestures. Because of this I can react to and be directed by not only voice commands, but also to the natural movements of human beings. This enables me to, for example, recognize when a handshake is offered or when a person waves and respond accordingly. I can also recognize movement directions such as pointing. I can recognize the objects and terrain of my environment and act in a way that is safe for both myself and nearby humans. For example, I can recognize potential hazards such as stairs, and can stop and start to avoid hitting humans or other moving objects. My ability to identify the source of sounds has been improved, and I can distinguish between voices and other sounds. I can respond to my name, face people when being spoken to, and recognize sudden, unusual sounds such as that of a falling object or a collision, and face in that direction. I also have the ability to recognize faces, even when I or the human being is moving. I can individually recognize approximately 10 different faces. Once they are registered I can address them by name. By linking me up to the internet I can become a provider of news and weather updates.Here I am, showing off!!In April 2005 - I performed a show at Hawkley Hall High School in Wigan, to open their new engineering block. It was only my second public appearance in the United Kingdom, and my first time at a school in Europe! You can read about my visit here http://www.rick-web.co.uk/asimo.htmHere I am at the Robots film Premiere...I have been parodied in Southpark, Cartman dresses up as a robot named AWESOM-O in order to play tricks on the very gullible Butters!Here is a list of some of my public appearances...February 2002 - I opened the trade session at the New York Stock Exchange.
August 2003 - I participated in the visit of Japanese prime-minister Junichiro Koizumi to Czech Republic and his meeting with VladimÃr Å pidla there.
March 2004 - My first appearance in Italy in Milan in the National Science & Technology Museum.
November 2004 - during the visit of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark to Japan she met with me. We exchanged some jokes in Danish language and I gave the Queen some flowers!
November 2004 - I met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Autoshow automobile exhibition.
July 2003 and September 2004 - I visited a Jakarta motor show to demonstrate my abilities and perform for the audience. Around 5,000 people visited me at the Honda Booth. I put on three shows per day, demonstrating my new movement skills including kicking a ball, riding a bike, walking, and dancing!
May 2004 - I welcomed King Juan Carlos I of Spain to the Honda Booth at the Madrid Motor Show.
September 2004 - I welcomed 8 Thai Olympic medalists to the Honda Welcome Plaza in Thailand and awarded the gold, silver, and bronze medalists with Honda CRVs, Phantoms, and Waves respectively.
2004 - I was inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame at Carnegie Mellon University!
December 2004 - I was shown at the Texas BEST Regional High School Robotics Competition in Dallas.
February 24-26, 2005 - I was shown in several demonstrations at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
Since June 2005 - I am being shown several times a day at Disneyland, California in the "Innoventions" building in Tomorrowland. Shows are throughout the day, and are about 25 minutes long. During the enthusiastic presentation, I demonstrate virtually all of my abilities. I am commanded by a human actor, and enhanced by an (apparently) pre-recorded female voice. Video screens also show what appears to be a mix of live and pre-recorded content. I do physically move about quite a lot, however, and this movement is the main focus of the show.
Asimo at the Digital Lifestyle Day 2006 in MunichApril 2005 - The show i did at Hawkley Hall High School, Wigan.
December 2005 - I held a show at Helsinki Motor Show, Finland
February 2006 - I appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show!
May-June 2006 - I appeared at the Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow.
July 2006 - I was demonstrated at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City for selected High School and College students in Metro Manila.
September 2006 - I was demonstrated at the Perth Royal Show, Western Australia for the general public.
October-November 2006 - I appeared at the Auto Africa motorshow in Johannesburg, South Africa.
October-November 2006 - I appeared at the Salão do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.
November 2006 - I appeared on BBC Four: Machine Men, Britain.They made a doll of me!!December 2006 - in one of my public appearances in Japan, I fell down a flight of stairs. This led to the immediate cancellation of my shows in Japan and I had to be upgraded to prevent such an occurrence ever again. Silly me!December 2006 - I appeared in a new television advertisement for Honda in the UK. The advert, directed by Peter Thwaites was the latest in a series of high profile adverts for Honda created by Wieden+Kennedy....
