Honda's Latest ASIMO Humanoid Robot Races into Barcelona for European Debut

27 September 2007

Honda's Latest ASIMO Humanoid Robot Races into Barcelona for European Debut

Barcelona, Spain. - The latest generation of Honda's humanoid robot, ASIMO, made its European debut in Barcelona today. The new ASIMO, which Honda hopes will one day be so advanced that it can truly help people, incorporates several significant technological advancements over its predecessors, including a streamlined new design, even more fluid and quick movements and the ability to run at nearly 6 km/h (nearly 4 mph). The agile robot also has several other new mobility and intelligence capabilities.

Advanced speed and mobility:

• Running (6km/h)
• Running whilst cornering (5km/h)
• Turning on the spot
• Slaloming (5km/h)

Advanced functions to operate in a human environment:

• Interaction with people by recognising them
• Interaction with people by calculating their distance
• Greeting passers by
• Walking hand-in-hand and moving in sync
• Receiving and delivering a tray
• Walking whilst holding a tray
• Walking and changing directions whilst pushing a trolley
• Operating a trolley in a number of ways

"For the first time in Europe, Honda is demonstrating the new ASIMO - the latest generation of Honda's remarkable research into humanoid robotics", said William De Braekeleer, Corporate PR Manager, Honda Motor Europe.

"The previous generation of ASIMO amazed people with the fluidity of its movements. The new ASIMO takes this mobility and interaction with people to the next level and moves Honda one step closer to its ultimate goal of developing a robot that can be a helper to people in need."

Europe itself, via Honda's European Research Institute, is making a major contribution to the development of future generations of ASIMO, which is focused on enhancing the robot's intelligence capabilities. Honda Research Institute (Europe), based in Offenbach, Germany, currently works in partnership with 17 European universities and research centres in the development of intelligent systems and cognitive intelligence.

The European debut was held during II Jornades de Robòtica at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park and organised in partnership with the Barcelona City Council as part of the City's ‘Year of Science' activities.

The new ASIMO will be in Barcelona until 29 September where it will be performing a number of special shows for the general public and the City's school children. On 28 September, the robot's educational role in inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers will be highlighted at Nit de la Recerca, the European Commission's ‘Researchers in Europe' event, which aims to raise the profile of European researchers and scientists.

ENDS

For more information, please contact William De Braekeleer, Honda Motor Europe:

T : +44 (0) 1753 590 093 Email: william.de.braekeleer@honda-eu.com

Or alternatively, Adrian Chitty, Good Relations:

T: +44 (0) 7812 196 598 Email: achitty@goodrelations.co.uk

Publicity materials relating to this announcement are available at www.hondanews.eu

Editors Notes

The new ASIMO can much better interact with and carry out commands given by people and can more effectively perform numerous new tasks including moving a trolley and carrying objects. The primary advancements of the newest ASIMO include:

1. Enhanced human interaction

By providing ASIMO with the ability to recognise the surrounding environment through its visual sensors, floor surface sensor, ultrasonic sensor, and by an IC Tele-interaction Communication Card*, ASIMO can more autonomously interact with people. Through the coordinated use of its eye cameras in the head and the force (kinaesthetic) sensors on its wrists, ASIMO can give and receive an object such as a tray. And by using these force sensors, ASIMO can hold the hand of the person and move in sync with them.

(*1) IC Tele-interaction Communication Card: By adding an optical communication function to the IC tag, the existence and position of the person or object can be identified. With this card, ASIMO can recognise the location and identity of the person regardless of where the person stands in a 360-degree range from ASIMO.

2. Carrying objects using a trolley

ASIMO is now capable of handling a trolley freely while maintaining an appropriate distance by adjusting the force of its right and left arms to push the trolley using the force sensors on its wrists. Even when the movement of the trolley is disturbed, ASIMO can continue manoeuvring by taking flexible actions such as slowing down or changing directions.

3. Running

Through proactive control of ASIMO's posture while both feet are off the ground, ASIMO can run at 6km/h (nearly 4 mph). In addition, running in a circular pattern at a high speed was achieved by tilting the centre of gravity of ASIMO's body inside of the circle to maintain balance with the amount of centrifugal force experienced.

Honda continues ASIMO's development with the goal of one day producing a robot capable of assisting those who lack full mobility and of working in environments dangerous for humans.

About ASIMO

ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative MObility) is the world's most advanced humanoid robot, with the ability to run, walk forward and backward, climb stairs, turn smoothly without pausing, and maintain balance, even while walking on uneven slopes and surfaces. Honda engineers began developing a humanoid robot in 1986 for the purpose of someday helping people in need. After years of research and development, they created an advanced humanoid robot able to function in real-world environments. ASIMO made its European debut at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany on 30 June 2003, where it appeared at a symposium entitled ‘From High Tech to Intelligence - The Challenge of Humanoid Robots'.

About Honda

Honda is one of the world's leading producers of mobility products including its diverse line-up of cars, motorcycles and ATVs, power products, marine engines, personal watercraft and the new advanced light jet, HondaJet.