SCI/TECH: Asimo, The Running Robot, page 1

Honda motor company is back at again with Asimo, a new updated version of the humanoid robot. The original Asimo made its debut four years ago, but officials state the new version is able to jog along at a 3 km pace. Asimo has also grown during its development; gaining 10 cm in height and now weighing in at 54 kg. The added hardware along with a new posture control system allows Asimo to jog. Honda claims that Asimo is on par with human joggers

www.eetimes.com

TOKYO � Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has demonstrated a new version of the Asimo humanoid robot that the company claims can run at a speed of 3 kilometers per hour.
.
.
.
Honda said it also developed a new posture control technology to help Asimo run. In addition to the conventional bipedal walking control, Honda designed the new robot to bend or twist at its torso to maintain its balance and prevent foot slippage and spinning. Both can occur occur during high-speed movement.

The hardware was also improved with a newly developed processing circuit, a motor drive unit and a lightweight, rigid leg structure for high-speed, agile operation. The performance levels are more than four times faster than the previous model, according to Honda.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Looks like Asimo is developing into "I, Robot." Honda, Sony and Toyota, to name a few, have been making great strides in the area of robot development. It appears, at least to this writer, that personal robots are a possibility in our life time. This is good news to those people who would require hospice care. They could also be used for search and rescue. As engineers at Honda, and other competing companies, learn and better understand the human body and how it functions, expect to bigger and better things to come.

[edit on 18-12-2004 by Banshee]