Honda presents upgraded version of humanoid robot Asimo

The 2011 generation of Asimo is also equipped with multiple sensors that make its senses similar to those of humans (vision, hearing, touch). But Honda’s most important improvement is probably the artificial intelligence that drives the robot.

Presented in Tokyo on Tuesday, the latest version of Asimo can bind more complex movements and change its behavior according to the actions of humans around it.

His legs were particularly improved: the new Asimo movements can include jumping on one or both legs, including bending, running at a speed of 9 km / h or running backwards.

He is also able to distinguish the voices of three people speaking at once, using face recognition and analyzing sound, in order to figure out that one woman wanted hot coffee, another orange juice, and another milk tea.

Honda has also improved the hands of their humanoid robot. The palm and fingers of the machine are equipped with touch and force sensors, allowing it to “touch” objects and then manipulate them with precision.

The robot was able to open a thermos bottle and pour juice into a paper cup without spilling a drop.

In addition, Asimo is now able to predict the direction of a person and step aside in order to avoid a collision. It can also stop a current action and change its behavior to adapt to the actions of the partner.

Honda President Takanobu Ito said that Asimo has autonomous artificial intelligence, so that it might go into a crowded area without stopping to check its schedule, adapting to the unexpected in real time. However, Honda officials admit it will take a long time before robots will be mass produced.

Here is the new version of ASIMO: