The Robot Files
The weekly technology column from those good people at Plymouth’s Orange Crate
Surely everybody loves the idea of robots don’t they? Whether you’re a hardcore sci fi fanatic who dreams of having an intelligent, automaton sidekick, or you could just do with a machine that can help with the ironing, there may one day be a robot for you.
Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to look back fondly over a relatively small number of the more famous, ground breaking robots of the last few decades. And I’m not talking about R2D2, Johnny-5 and The Terminator, but the real deal.
So, this week’s likely lad (or technically, series of likely lad models) is Honda’s favourite son ASIMO. An acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility, the first ASIMO model (E0) was developed in 1986 at Honda’s research and development centre in Japan. The most ground breaking feature of this early model was that it could walk unassisted, although it took about five seconds to complete each step (and the robot itself was only a pair of legs without a body). It was to be the start of a successful and popular long-term project.
Between 1987 and 1992 Honda unveiled a range of improving models which resembled robotic legs attached to a top computational unit. Although still a way from being humanoid in appearance (they resembled big toasters on legs), ASIMO E5’s talents had grown immensely by 1992. Not only could he now walk fast on slopes, steps, and uneven surfaces, he could plan his movements in advance.
And the advances certainly didn’t stop there. The most recent ASIMO stands at 1.2m tall, weighs 43kg, and resembles a diminutive astronaut. Not only can he successfully walk at varying speeds, he boasts advanced arm movements enabling him to perform more complex tasks. And he’s intelligent. He can understand human gestures, respond to them, and even remember and greet people by name, performing multiple tasks at the same time!
Knowing this, and to look at him, it almost doesn’t feel strange to refer to him as ‘he’ rather than ‘it’. 46 ASIMO units exist today, and you can hire one for a year for a measly $166,000. Orange Crate have already put in an order, all donations will be gratefully received…
If you liked this story, you could buy us a coffee --------------------------------------------------------------------May 30th, 2008
