Honda Says Goodbye To Asimo – But Not Its Underlying Technologies

Honda has reportedly pulled the plug on Asimo. But the technologies it’s developed for humanoid robot – one of the most advanced ever made – will live on.

The story of Asimo dates back to 1986 when Honda opened its advanced research facility in the Saitama Prefecture, where it also started development on hydrogen fuel cells and the HondaJet aircraft.

The advanced walking robot made its first public appearance in 2000, leading to a series of revisions that culminated in the seventh-generation robot in 2011. The current robot measures 1.3 meters (4.26 feet) tall and weighs 48 kg (106 lbs). And thanks to its advanced sensors and self-balancing capabilities, can walk almost like a human – even run at speeds of up to 9 km/h (5.6 mph), jump, open a bottle, and pour a beverage. It’s an impressive piece of equipment, as this writer discovered upon a demonstration while touring the company’s world headquarters in Tokyo.

With development stalled and no direct marketability on the horizon, however, Nikkei Asian Review reports that Honda has pulled the plug. However the Japanese industrial giant has, and intends to continue utilizing Asimo’s advancement in other applications.

Not least of them is the development of self-driving cars which employ many of the sensors first developed for Asimo to enable autonomous vehicle operation. The company is also adapting Asimo’s walking capabilities to a mobility assistance device for the elderly and handicapped. Honda has also developed a lawn mower that can operate autonomously, even across uneven surfaces, and a self-balancing motorcycle. So while we may never see further iterations of Asimo coming out of Honda’s R&D departments, we won’t be surprised to see more of its technologies working their way into future products.