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. There are even a handful of robots on the market whose sole job is to vacuum the floor.
Many of us grew up watching robots on TV and in the movies: There was Rosie, the Jetsons' robot housekeeper; Data, the android crewmember on Star Trek TNG; and of course, C3PO from Star Wars. The robots being created today aren't quite in the realm of Data or C3PO, but there have been some amazing advances in their technology. Honda engineers have been busy creating the ASIMO robot for more than 17 years. In this article, we'll find out what makes ASIMO the most advanced humanoid robot to date.
What is ASIMO?
ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, was developed by the Honda Motor Company and is the most advanced humanoid robot in the world. According to the ASIMO Web site, ASIMO is the only humanoid robot in the world that can walk independently and climb stairs. While there are several other humanoid robots that can walk, none have the smooth, realistic gait that ASIMO has.
In addition to ASIMO's ability to walk like we do, it can also understand some spoken commands (currently only in Japanese) and recognize faces. ASIMO has arms and hands so it can do things like turn on light switches, open doors, carry objects, and push carts.
Honda's vision for ASIMO
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 (1.2 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. Often referred to as looking like a "kid wearing a spacesuit," ASIMO's friendly appearance and nonthreatening size work well for the purposes Honda had in mind when creating it.
ASIMO could also do jobs that are too dangerous for humans to do, like going into hazardous areas, disarming bombs, or fighting fires.
ASIMO's Life Story
Honda began development of its humanoid helper robot in 1986. Honda engineers knew the robot had to be able to easily navigate around a house or building, and that meant the walking technology had to be perfect. Therefore, their first attempts were basically boxes with legs. Once the walking mechanism was mostly developed, arms, hands and finally a head were added.
The ASIMO Timeline
The first robot Honda built was called EO. EO walked very slowly, taking sometimes 20 seconds to complete a single step. This was because EO did what was called "static walking." In static walking, after the robot begins moving one foot forward, it has to wait until it has its weight balanced on that foot before it begins to move the other foot forward. Humans don't walk that way, so the research continued.
By now engineers had developed a method for "dynamic walking," which is much more human-like. With this walking technology, the robot (now called prototype E1, soon followed by E2 and E3 as research progressed) leaned into the next step, shifting its weight and moving the other foot forward to catch itself so that rather than falling forward, it walked forward.
In prototypes E4, E5 and E6, Honda's engineers perfected the walking mechanism to the point where the robot could easily walk on an incline, up stairs, and on uneven terrain. Because truly walking as a human does actually requires the use of the body, arms, and head, engineers had to move on to the next step and add the rest of the body.
With a body, arms, hands and a head, the next generation of prototypes (P1, P2 and P3) looked more like a "humanoid." P1, however, was a looming 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall and weighed 386 pounds (175 kg). P2 was scaled down slightly in height, but weighed an even heavier 463 pounds (210 kg) -- not something you want stepping on your toes in the kitchen. But, it could walk very well on uneven surfaces, inclines, and could even grasp objects and push carts. P2 could even maintain its balance when pushed. Finally, P3 was built at a more comfortable (and less frightening) 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm) tall. Weighing 287 pounds (130 kg), P3 could walk faster and more smoothly than its predecessors.
Even more improvements had been made to the walking system, allowing ASIMO to walk gracefully and easily in almost any environment. Sophisticated hip joints allowed ASIMO to turn smoothly -- something other robots have to stop and shuffle in order to do.
In thinking about how ASIMO was to be used, the engineers made the decision to further reduce ASIMO's size to 4 feet (122 cm) so that not only would it not be intimidating to people who were seated (or standing, for that matter), it would actually be at eye level. This height also made it possible for ASIMO to work at table height or at a computer, reach light switches and turn door knobs. ASIMO's very strong but lightweight magnesium-alloy body, covered in plastic "skin," weighed in at only 115 pounds (52 kg).
Technology called "predicted movement control" allowed ASIMO to predict its next movement automatically and shift its weight to make a turn. ASIMO's stride could also be adjusted in real time to make it walk faster or slower. P2 and P3 had to use programmed walking patterns.
Robots are and have been in use in many areas since the 1960s. With computer processors getting increasingly more powerful and technology in robotics expanding into new areas, it won't be long before we do have a "Rosie" to cook our meals and clean our houses.