Join Us in Mourning the Death of Honda's Asimo
Honda has ceased developed of its humanoid Asimo robot.
The Japanese automaker first set to work on Asimo way back in 1986, when it opened a research facility in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture dedicated to the project. Asimo wasn’t presented to the public until 2000, however, when it became the first robot to successfully walk on two legs. Honda presented the most recent take on Asimo back in 2011, which weighs around 105 lbs and could walk at speeds of up to 5.5 mph, or 9 km/h.
While Honda was never able to monetize Asimo, that doesn’t mean the project was all for nothing. Apart from serving as a walking, talking Honda ad, Asimo’s sensor technology and artificial intelligence will prove useful in the development of autonomous vehicles. The sensors that help keep Asimo balanced have also been used in some of the company’s motorcycles, and Honda is developing a device for physical rehabilitation that uses walking techniques similar to Asimo’s.
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Honda is also still interested in making robots – although they aren’t humanoid ones like Asimo. At CES earlier this year, the company showed off an entire lineup of robots with practical applications, such as an autonomous off-road capable vehicle that could be used on job sites. They even brought along a robot with AI and a computer generated face designed to show compassion toward humans.
The automatons are part of Honda’s 2030 company vision, which will see it invest more into mobility solutions, alternative energy such as fuel cells and EVs and, of course, robots.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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