Robot News!  ADVERTISEMENT ASIMO Honda's Robot ASIMO Thrills Melbourne Crowds
Honda Australia The world's most advanced humanoid robot, Honda's ASIMO, won over Melbourne last week enthralling hundreds of children and adults alike as he kicked off his Alive & Unplugged Australian Tour with a series of spectacular shows at Chadstone Shopping Centre.
ASIMO, whose name stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, wowed the Melbourne crowds during five days of sell-out shows with his life-like ability to run, walk, dance, talk, recognise people, hold hands, carry objects and even play soccer.
He is now on his way to Bendigo for the next stage of his nine-week 'Alive & Unplugged' Australian tour, which is presented by ASIMO's creator Honda, a world leader in robotics and mobility.
ASIMO is the result of nearly 21 years of research and development by Honda which, although better known for cars and motorcycles, currently has engineering teams in Japan, Thailand, Europe and the US dedicated to this extraordinary robot's ongoing development as he continues to become more humanlike with each new technological advancement.
According to Honda Australia Senior Director Lindsay Smalley, ASIMO is the most advanced in a series of humanoid robots created by Honda engineers since 1986 with the aim of someday helping people in need. "Honda's concept is to create a robot that can help around the house, or assist the elderly or someone confined to a wheelchair or bed," he said.
"That's why ASIMO is just 1.3 metres high so he can communicate eye-to-eye with someone seated in a chair, while still being able to operate light switches and door knobs, and work at tables and work benches. In future, ASIMO might also perform tasks that are dangerous to humans, such as fighting fires or cleaning up toxic spills."
ASIMO has been designed to duplicate the complexities of human perception and motion. In addition to walking at 2.7 kph and running at 6 kph, he uses eye cameras to recognise his surrounding environment, register stationary objects and avoid moving obstacles as he moves around. Force (kinesthetic) sensors in his wrists allow him to push carts and give and receive objects, such as a tray of drinks, while an IC Communication card means he can interact with people relatively autonomously.
Today's ASIMO is more mobile than his predecessors with extra hip, knee and foot joints, which in robots are referred to as "degrees of freedom" (DOF), and calculated by measuring human movement. ASIMO has 34 DOF spread over different parts of his body to allow him to move freely.
Mr Smalley added that Honda can apply many of ASIMO's technological achievements to other areas such as automotive safety. "For instance, what we have learned from ASIMO about human movement has helped us design a more effective crash-test dummy and develop some of the world's safest cars for pedestrians; while the radar ASIMO uses to move around is being adapted for use in Honda cars as Night Vision, and for detecting and avoiding pedestrians while driving," he said.
Now ASIMO is enjoying meeting the Australian public through his 124-show ASIMO 'Alive and Unplugged' Show tour which will take him around Victoria, South Australia, NSW and Queensland. The Tour will give the public an insight into ASIMO's unique technological capabilities and cheeky personality, and also give humans of all ages a glimpse into the not-too-distant future when humanoid robots like ASIMO will help them in their homes. ASIMO tour dates, times and further details can be found at www.asimo.com.au.
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DATE
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CITY
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VENUE
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25th-28th October 2007
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Bendigo, VIC
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Bull Street
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2nd-4th November 2007
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Adelaide
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Rymill Park
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16th-17th November 2007
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Newcastle, NSW
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Camp Shortland
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22nd-25th November 2007
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Sydney
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Darling Harbour, Palm Grove
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30th Nov -2nd December 2007
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Sydney
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Parramatta, Prince Alfred Park
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6th – 9th December 2007
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Brisbane
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Southbank, Russell St Green
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published 23/10/2007 |