Billed by Honda as the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, ASIMO, the 4 feet 3 inch tall humanoid, could not distinguish between human arm movements.
Although best known as a car manufacturer, Honda has spent over 25 years researching and developing robots. Their best-known creation is ASIMO, a two-legged robot capable of walking, running, and kicking a soccer ball. While these basic motor skills were primarily pre-programmed, or controlled by backstage engineers, Honda has recently begun pursuing robots that can autonomously interact with humans.
To this effect, the Japanese car manufacturer scheduled a newly designed ASIMO to work a four-week shift as a guide at Tokyo’s Miraikan museum, answering visitor questions and explaining exhibits. Although unable to directly answer voiced inquiries, ASIMO was programmed to respond to questions posed via a touchscreen device. However, during its demonstration last week, the robot was unable to differentiate between visitors raising their hands to ask questions and visitors raising their cameras and Smartphones to take pictures.
“Who wants to ask ASIMO a question?” the robot repeatedly responded, according to the Associated Press, when tourists attempted to photograph it.
Honda hopes that ASIMO will have more practical applications in the future, by assisting the elderly or cleaning up toxic spills, but last week’s museum demonstration proves the company has a long way to go.
“Right now, it can recognize a child waving to it, but it’s not able to comprehend the meaning of the waving,” says Satoshi Shigemi, a Honda robotics specialist.
Despite public criticism, Honda continues to develop its flagship robot, hoping to show that ASIMO is more than a million-dollar toy. The company was criticized during the Fukushima nuclear accident when ASIMO’s components were too sensitive to enter the radiated area, but has since developed robotic arms for use in nuclear plants. With three more weeks at Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, hopefully the robot, and its engineers, will be able to overcome its first-day jitters.
